What Have I Become?
by shlb
Summary: Silvia was just an ordinary young woman until she was abducted from Earth and thrown into a galaxy filled with war, betrayal, and a revengeful Kree. Everything she thought she knew about herself will quickly change when she encounters the fearful Ronan. OC/Ronan
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Silvia - Marvel gets credit for everyone else!**

**Author's note: For mature readers only! 18+ Rated M for language, violence, and smut. This is an OC/Ronan story and will only be told through the OC's POV.**

**At the top of every chapter you will find a song which I have specially chosen to fit the chapter's mood, dialogue, theme, etc... **

**Enjoy ;)**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter song: Coming For You by Von Grey<strong>_

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><p>It was barely noon and I was already longing to be back in my cold, air-conditioned home. Living in the south has its perks, but summers here are unbearable. Within five minutes of walking out my front door, my body was already covered in a thin layer of sweat. I almost thought about skipping classes this morning, but my professor would surely notice my absence. Why did I <em>always<em> have to sit in the front of the class? Right now, I really hated my obsession with good grades. _Only one semester left_, I thought as I walked into the classroom.

Sacrificing my summer in order to finish school a semester early was an easy choice for me. It's not like I have much to do in the summer anyways. All of my friends go home and I'm left here by myself. I watched the clock as my professor rambled on about theories of international law, and wished I had the bravery to just get up and walk out. It was so damn hot in here and my shirt was sticking uncomfortably to my back from sweating_. I can't wait to move_, I thought as I fanned out my shirt.

Much to my relief, my professor decided to end class ten minutes early. As I stood up and started packing my things, my professor approached me with a smile on his face, causing me to sigh internally.

"Got any big plans for this weekend, Silvia?" He asked. By now we were the only two left in the classroom.

I looked up at him with the nicest smile I could muster. His breath reeked of coffee and cigarettes.

"Oh, no... Probably just going to study," I said, putting my backpack on and slowly walking towards the door. He casually walked behind me with his hands in his pockets.

"That's a shame. A pretty girl like you should be taken out on a date," he said in a hopeful voice.

I awkwardly laughed and turned around to say goodbye, only to see him staring at me with disappointment in his eyes. _I have to get out of here_, I thought as I practically stumbled out the door.

"Bye Mr. Dominick! See you next week," I said over my shoulder, trying to get the hell out of there before things got even weirder.

I know men find me attractive, but I try not to think about it. I dress as modestly as I can, but sometimes it's impossible to hide your curves. Most people just comment on how short I am – barely 5'0" – but my friends are always telling me I have a big ass and huge boobs.

They really aren't _that_ big. OK they are Ds, but they don't look like Ds. I subconsciously crossed my arms over my chest and started walking to the park near my house. The park always made me feel calm, and right now I was feeling anything but. There was barely anyone here today and I actually felt relieved. After throwing my backpack on the ground I unbuttoned my shirt and tossed it aside, revealing my beige tank top underneath.

I pulled out my sunscreen and began applying the lotion to my fair skin. My friends make fun of me for being so pale, but I don't really care. My light blonde hair only accentuates my paleness, so I grew up being called things such as vampire, albino, and china doll. Good times.

Lying down in the grass and watching the clouds drift by made me forget about my awkward moment with Mr. Dominick. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of wind passing through the trees, and soon I was fast asleep.

I suddenly awoke with a feeling of unease. It was nighttime, but unnaturally dark. I couldn't even see where my backpack was. I looked up at the sky and realized the clouds must be covering the moon. _Shit, good planning Silvia. Alone. In a park. At night._ My parents were going to kill me. Wait, how did I even sleep this late?

I stumbled around trying to find my things in the dark.

Just as I put on my backpack there was a loud noise right above me - almost like a plane - which caused me to fall down in surprise and drop my things. I screamed as bright lights descended upon me, blinding me. I placed my hands above my eyes trying to block some of the light, but I couldn't make out what was hovering above me. I was momentarily frozen in fear. I looked around to see if there was anyone who could help me, but there was no one. For once in my life I didn't want to be alone.

I slowly stood up and started backing away from the strange hovercraft, my eyes aching from the bright light. Just as I started to turn to run I felt a strange sensation overcome my body, it felt like I couldn't move. Suddenly I felt weightless and I realized that I was being pulled up into the hovercraft. Panic overcame me and I began to truly scream in fear as I watched my fallen backpack get smaller and smaller in the field of grass. I reached out my arms and legs trying to do something, but my efforts were futile.

I looked up at the hovercraft as I got closer and tried to prepare myself for what awaited me behind that opening. I felt my throat tightening up in fear and my stomach turn as my anxiety overtook me. I tried screaming again, but all that came out were choked gasps. I quickly started to think about all of the possibilities. Could it be the government? Is this some type of secret government agency that just so happens to have UFO type crafts and light beams that suck people up? That didn't seem likely. I didn't want to think the only other possibility was true. It couldn't be. This couldn't be happening to me. Aliens don't exist.

As I reached the circular entrance I felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. I looked down at the ground and figured I was at least fifty feet above the ground. I hoped that whatever it was that was keeping me up wouldn't fail now; although, falling to my death sounded a lot better than having aliens perform experiments on me. The thought of that terrified me even more. I didn't have much time to panic though because the doors to the entrance parted and I was pulled into the hovercraft. I closed my eyes and prayed that my death would be quick and painless.

The moment the doors closed underneath me, the feeling of weightlessness disappeared and I dropped to the floor with a loud thud. I crawled to the nearest corner and prepared myself for what was to come. I looked around and realized that I was alone, which was surprising. The craft itself was dirtier than I expected. I was expecting white, spotlessly clean walls and shiny metal objects. Everything in here was dark and there were some type of pipes running along the ceiling. There were dark, dirty spots on the walls and the floor was cluttered with junk. After waiting a few minutes to see if someone would come, I decided to explore the room. There was a door on the opposite wall, but it was locked and the control pad looked way too complicated to figure out. I looked behind me and saw a small, oval window which I quickly ran over to. I looked out and saw that we were much higher in the sky than before. I could see my neighborhood and tiny cars driving along the interstate.

Thoughts of my home, my family, and my friends flooded my mind and I began to cry in earnest. My hands rested upon the cold window as my body shook with fear and anguish. Within the next minute we were above the clouds.

It was beautiful. I could finally see the full, bright moon. The clouds glowed white beneath its light, and for a second I forgot where I was.

Suddenly there was a low humming noise and I began to feel my body vibrate along with the craft. I sat down on the floor as the humming grew louder and drew my arms around my knees, closing my eyes, and preparing for the worst. There was a sudden lurch and I could tell we were moving quickly because I started to feel like I was being pulled backwards. It felt exactly like when an airplane first leaves the landing and begins its ascent. Once I made that connection, it dawned on me that we were leaving Earth.

After about five minutes or so the pulling sensation slackened, allowing me to stand up and look out of the window. I couldn't help but gasp at what I saw. There in front of me was my planet. My home. And it was beautiful. But that feeling of wonder and awe quickly vanished when Earth became smaller and eventually just another dot like everything else. I continued looking at my planet until I could see it no longer and the ache in my legs became overwhelming.

I slowly sat down on the cold floor, wishing I was sleeping in my warm, soft bed. I felt an ache in my heart just thinking about it. It must have been at least four hours since I was abducted. I didn't even realize I had been looking out of the window for that long. A feeling of hopelessness washed over me. All I could do was sit here and wait for whatever walked through that door. As the hours passed by, exhaustion came over me and I miraculously fell asleep.

I was floating in the air above my house, waving to my mom and dad, when everything turned dark around me. My parents' faces transformed into green, reptilian-like faces, and in response I screamed with horror, while rapidly falling to the ground. Before I hit the ground I awoke with a loud gasp. I felt the weight of a large hand on my shoulder, shaking me violently.

I looked up and suddenly I was screaming again, but this time it wasn't a dream. Standing over me was the strangest creature I had ever seen in my life. Its skin was a sickly yellow color, reminding me of pus, and it was covered in white dots that seemed to have no pattern at all. When I looked into the creatures face I was met with large, red eyes that seemed to lack any pupil. It was terrifying, and definitely not human - although, it did have arms and legs. Poking out of its head were sharp, white spikes, which must be the alien version of hair.

My screaming must have scared the creature because it quickly stood up and backed away, raising its hands in a non-combative manner. I hurriedly jumped up and positioned myself ready to fight, placing my hands in front of me like a boxer would. I had no idea how to actually fight, but I was not going to let this thing experiment on my body like a lab rat.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" I said in a high-pitched, panicked voice.

The creature looked at me, slowly lowering its hands and began walking to the door. It proceeded to type in a long code into the control pad, which resulted in the doors being opened. It then gestured to the door, pointing with its yellow hands for me to go through.

I shook my head, cautiously backing away from the alien. I did not want to find out what was behind that door. In response, the alien grunted and pointed dramatically to the door as if I didn't understand. I could tell it was getting impatient.

"I want to go home. Please take me back to Earth," I said more urgently, shaking my head.

The alien sighed and threw its hands up into the air in a frustrated manner. In deliberate strides it walked to me and grabbed me by the arm, causing me to recoil in disgust and fear. A scream escaped my lips as the creature began dragging me towards the door. It struggled to hold on to me as I began hitting it in the back with my other fist, but its grip on my arm stayed intact. The creature grunted with each hit but never looked back at me. I wondered why it wasn't retaliating and trying to stop me. I was dragged through a dimly lit hallway until we reached a door at the very end. The disgusting creature began typing another code into the control pad, causing the doors to whoosh open. I was then thrown rather roughly through the door, and I instantly wished I was back in that small, dirty room.

I stood there with my mouth hanging open as dozens of aliens stopped what they were doing to stare at me. Not a single one of them looked alike. Each alien had a unique skin color, and some looked like they weren't even from the same planet. In fact, one of them had what looked like tentacles as arms. The majority of them had human-like features – two arms and two legs – but they were all hideous to me.

The middle of the crowd began to part as a blue man casually walked towards me. His skin color made him look like one of the members of the Blue Man Group. He looked exactly like a human, minus the odd skin color and the red, shiny crest on top of his head. He stood five feet away from me, smiling with his crooked white teeth. I could already tell this guy was full of himself.

"Welcome aboard my ship, girl. My name is Yondu and if you haven't figured it out… I'm the captain," he said, in a loud, rough voice. "You won't be here long, but I hope you enjoy your time," he said, winking at me.

"What am I doing here? What do you mean I won't be here long? I think you have the wrong-," I said as I was interrupted by Yondu.

"Hey, now, shhhhhhh," he said as he raised his finger to his mouth. "You girl are going to a special client of mine who has a very select taste in Terran girls," he said raising his eyebrows. The aliens behind him sniggered. They must be men.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Please just take me home," I said, my voice wavering at the end.

"Girl, you aren't going home. You're going to make me a damn good profit," he said, looking me up and down. I felt my skin crawl as his eyes settled on my chest. I completely forgot that I was only wearing my tank top. Well, at least I decided to wear my jeans today instead of shorts.

Before I could object I was taken ahold by two aliens on each side. Both of my arms were grabbed and I was pulled away from the crowd into another hallway. I managed to get in a few good kicks, but I was already being directed into another room. I was forcefully thrown into the room, causing me to fall loudly as my knees and palms made contact with the hard floor.

The doors instantly shut behind me, leaving me to feel completely hopeless. I grimaced in pain as I stood up, trying to rub some of the pain out of my hands and knees. When I looked up, I gasped when I saw the other women in the room. There were four bunk beds, two on each side of the room, leaving a narrow walkway down the middle. Sitting on each bed was a different woman, and they were all looking at me in silent pity. When I saw that there were two other human women, I rushed to them with tears in my eyes.

"Please, tell me what's going on. The blue man told me I was going to a client of his. I need to get out of here," I said pleadingly, hoping one of these women had all the answers for me. They stared at me with dead eyes, as if they didn't even see me.

"They're not going to answer you. They've been sedated. About three days ago these girls were picked up and Yondu had to sedate them because they were completely hysterical. Terrans," the woman emphasized the last word while rolling her eyes. "My name is Gilda by the way," she said nonchalantly. Her skin color was a rich purple and her hair was a vibrant yellow that reminded me of daises. Judging by the length of her legs dangling off the bunk bed, Gilda was very tall.

"What are Terrans? What are they going to do with us? How do I get home?" I asked, looking up at the amazon alien woman.

Gilda rubbed the side of her head as if she was tired and then looked down at me. Looking into my tear-filled eyes, her expression softened and she gave an exasperated sigh.

"Listen-", she said.

"Silvia," I interjected.

"Listen, Silvia. You are a Terran. It's the word used to describe people from Terra, or Earth. Yondu is what they call a ravager –thieves and smugglers mostly – and they'll do anything to make a good profit. You, along with everyone else in this room, will be sold to a slave tradesman who is willing to pay good money for attractive women such as ourselves. And I'm sorry to tell you this, but there's no way you're going home," she said, her voice lowering as I began crying.

"A slave," I cried in disbelief. This can't be happening. I started pacing the room with my hands on my head, trying to think of some way to get out of here. I ran to the door and started hammering my fists against the metal as hard as I could.

"Here we go," Gilda muttered, lying back down on her bed.

By now the other women had lost interest and were lying down as well. I pulled on the door with all my might, willing it to open. Nothing happened. I turned around and inspected the room, eyeing a small door in the right hand corner. I walked down the aisle past the other disinterested women who stared blankly at the ceiling. Opening the door, I quickly realized this must be the bathroom. The room was small, cold, and bare. It wasn't much bigger than an airplane bathroom. There was a silver metallic seat with a hole in the middle and a sink with a small mirror.

I closed the door behind me and leaned over the sink, feeling sick to my stomach. I lifted my head up and met my reflection in the small mirror. My eyes were bloodshot and sunken, and my complexion was paler than usual. I looked like I had the worst hangover of my life, and it felt like it. I turned the handle to the sink, feeling relief when I saw water actually flowing out of it, and cupped my hands underneath the faucet to drink. After drinking for a straight minute, I stood up already feeling better and leaned back against the wall. As I stood there looking at the mirror, an idea came into my mind, and I smiled for the first time today.

I will not be a slave.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter song: Skull & Bones by A.A. Bondy**_

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><p>As I stood there in the bathroom looking down at my jeans, I felt a sudden jolt in the ship, which must have meant we arrived at our destination. My heart began to race as I realized I did not have as much time as I had hoped. My trembling fingers fidgeted with the buttons on my jeans, unable to get a firm grasp, causing me to curse out loud at my own clumsiness.<p>

After a few seconds of mild hysteria I had my jeans off and quickly wrapped them around my right hand. I threw my hand back forming a tight fist and aimed for the mirror. Even with my jeans wrapped around my hand, it still hurt like hell. Sharp, shooting pains pulsed through my hand up into my arm, but I grimaced through the pain and kept aiming for the mirror. After three punches I was able to retrieve a large, pointed shard that could work as a knife. Quickly, I put my jeans back on and placed the mirror shard into the back of my pants, careful to point the sharp part upwards. Hopefully it wasn't too noticeable.

I walked back into the room with all of the bunk beds and found the women exactly how they were before. None of them even glanced in my direction as I walked past them and sat down on the bunk underneath Gilda. Within five minutes I heard loud footsteps in the hallway and Yondu's voice yelling orders. As our door parted open, two aliens who I recognized from earlier walked through with large guns in their hands. Yondu followed them in shortly after, smiling obnoxiously as before. I really did not like this man.

"Alright ladies, here's what's going to happen: you're going to follow my men here off the ship to your new owner, and you're not going to try anything, got it? If you do, my men will not hesitate to demobilize you, and you don't want that," he said, placing his hands on his belt.

Gilda hopped down from the bed with a sigh, along with the other women, and started to form a line. I quickly jumped in the line, placing myself in the middle so the guards wouldn't see the shard in my jeans. One guard placed himself in the front of the line and the other in the back as we began slowly walking through the dimly lit hallway. Gradually the hallway became lighter, suggesting that the door on the end led to somewhere outside.

As we approached the end, my nose was filled with an unpleasant smell of smoke, urine, and something that smelled similar to vomit. It was disgusting. As we walked through the doors my heart sank a little more at my surroundings. I looked around with my nose crinkled in disgust, and all I saw were junky, metallic structures everywhere. It wasn't clear if these structures were buildings or piles of junk because there was no uniformity at all. There didn't appear to be any roads, just dirt, and the air had a smoky, yellowish hue. Any assumptions I made about aliens being more developed than humans quickly vanished.

As we were led down a dirt road, sketchy looking aliens looked us up and down and started making noises resembling the cat calls I heard back home. I quickly looked down and shuffled closer to the woman in front of me as I became very aware of the stares I was receiving. I looked to my sides and saw metallic structures which actually resembled buildings, and soon I could see many others in the distance. We were directed to a small building that was lit up with red lights which reminded me of the red light district in Amsterdam. Rolling my eyes, I shuffled into the building along with the other women.

Almost immediately we were met with an odd looking man who looked rather human, only his eyes were a brilliant green and he had green hair that reached his shoulders. He was dressed in an extravagant suit, adorned with shiny jewels and fur trim on the sleeves. He clasped his hands together smiling and giggling as he looked at us.

"Oh yes, yes, yes. Yondu has done very well indeed! Of course he will be rewarded," he said, as he pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket and placed it into one of the guard's hands. The guards quickly left after that, leaving us alone with the strange man. He turned to us and held his hands out to his sides in a dramatic fashion.

"Hello, my beautiful girls. My name is Forezzo," he said, rolling the 'r' as if he was trying to taste it. "I will be taking care of you from now on and in return you will do as I say. You can be very happy here, you just need the right attitude," he said clasping his hands again. "Now please, line up against the wall," he said pointing to the wall behind us.

As we lined up he began pacing back and forth, carefully scrutinizing us with squinted eyes while doing so. He began separating us into two groups, and I wasn't sure what it meant. I felt my stomach flip as his eyes landed on me. What surprised me the most was that his eyes lingered on my face longer than anywhere else; and as he looked at me his eyes seemed to soften for the slightest moment. He waved his hand for me to stand in the group where Gilda was standing. I felt a little relief knowing someone else in my group. I quietly stood next to Gilda who looked more annoyed than worried.

"What does this mean?" I whispered in her direction.

"Look around you. What do you think it means?" She whispered back, looking at the girls in our group and then to the other group.

I turned my head to look at each woman in our group. All of them were very pretty, including Gilda, and they all had curvy, feminine figures. I then looked over at the other group and I instantly noticed the difference. The women in the other group were far less curvy and their features were plainer, but I didn't know what this meant. OK, so he's separating the women based on their looks. Looks wouldn't matter unless you're a…

"Oh God, no!" I gasped looking over at Gilda. She slightly nodded her head without looking at me.

Before I could even think, our group was ushered into another room by a man dressed in all black, carrying a gun in one of his hands. We were taken to a small room that was lined with lockers from floor to ceiling. The man ordered us to strip and put our belongings into a locker of our choosing. After several seconds of us standing there doing nothing, the man fired a warning shot into the lockers behind us, eliciting several screams in the process.

Almost instantaneously the women started undressing, and deciding I couldn't use my homemade knife anyways, I started undressing as well. I made sure to keep the mirror shard hidden as I took off my jeans and quickly placed them into the locker. My face burned red as I looked up and realized all of the women had taken off everything, and I was still wearing my bra and panties.

"Take all of it off, Terran," the man ordered, pointing the gun in my direction. He didn't seem at all interested in me sexually; in fact, he seemed kind of bored. I guess naked women become less interesting when you see them every day.

"OK, fine! Just… don't shoot me," I said, my voice cracking at the end.

I turned around unclasping my bra and slowly shrugged it off. I carefully slid my panties off, trying not to bend over too much. With one arm I cupped my breasts, successfully hiding my nipples, and with the other hand I reached down and covered my sex. I had never been naked in front of a man before, and I wasn't going to let him be the first to see me. Slowly, I turned around and saw the guard roll his eyes while motioning for us to follow him.

We were led to a metallic door with an oval glass window. It eerily reminded me of the gas chambers I had seen in WWII pictures. The guard ordered us to line up in front of the door, pointing his gun at us of course, and then proceeded to hand each of us a clear plastic bag meant to go over our heads. After several seconds of hesitation and being threatened by the guard, I complied along with the other women and slipped the bag over my head. There was an opening where the nose and mouth were, allowing me to breathe, and the bottom was elastic so it tightened around my neck and kept my hair tucked inside. It looked like an overly large shower cap, and I felt ridiculous.

When we were done putting on the bizarre bags, the guard guided us through the metal door and quickly closed it behind him on his way out. My heart was fluttering because I didn't know what was going on, but I knew my life wasn't in danger. It didn't make sense for Forezzo to buy us, only to kill us ten minutes later. The inside of the room reminded me of a steam room at a spa. The walls and floors were made of some type of concrete and on the ceiling there were at least a dozen sprinkler heads. In the middle of the room there was a large drain, which made me realize this must be the shower. But why would they make us cover our hair and faces? Almost immediately as the words entered my mind, a yellow liquid started raining down on us.

It burned. It felt like I had a horrible sunburn and someone was rubbing me with a Brillo pad. I heard a few of the women grunt in pain, and some even screamed, but I started running around trying to find refuge from the burning I felt over my entire body. No matter where I stood, the yellow liquid rained down on me. When I looked down and saw the liquid running between my legs I panicked and tried rubbing the liquid off of me, but when I did all of my hair came off with it. In the yellow puddles around my feet I could see blonde and light brown hair accumulating. I ran to Gilda who was now hissing and frantically rubbing her arms.

"What is this stuff?" I cried out, holding my hands up trying to shield myself from the liquid.

"It permanently removes your hair. People are willing to pay more if you're hairless, so all prostitutes have to go through this," she said, now angrily rubbing in between her legs. "It will stop burning once you've removed all the hair," she said grimacing.

I quickly began rubbing my entire body with a desperation I had never felt before. Sure enough, once my body was completely bald the burning sensation stopped and I sighed in relief. Soon after all the women were hairless, the sprinklers switched to water, eliciting a collective sigh among the women. We were instructed to remove the bags from our heads, which I didn't oppose since I desperately needed a real shower. The guard walked in and placed a piece of soap into each of our hands, and I couldn't help but smile. I had never been so happy to take a shower.

After we were finished we were led back to our lockers, wrapped in thin purple towels. As I was getting dressed I couldn't help but admire my skin. Without hair, it felt ten times softer and it even looked smoother. I supposed I should be angry that someone altered my body without my permission, but honestly a life without razors or waxing sounded amazing. The only hair left on my body now was the hair on my head.

Forezzo walked in as I stuck the mirror shard into the back of my jeans again. He smiled as he inspected some of the women who were still undressed. In his left hand he carried a yellow jar, and in the other a small brush. As he approached the women, he closely regarded their faces and dipped the brush into the jar, and then brushed the yellow liquid around the women's eyebrows. After a few seconds he gently wiped away the liquid, leaving the women left with perfectly sculpted eyebrows. When it was my turn, he slowly turned to me, his eyes twinkling, and dramatically twirled the brush in his fingers.

"So lovely," he said, walking over to me. "The face of an angel and the body of a little vixen. A walking contradiction," he said, giggling to himself.

I felt nauseous at the thought of him touching me. My hand slightly twitched as I imagined driving my shard through his throat. I would have ended his miserable life right there if it weren't for his guard standing in the corner. As the tip of his brush touched my brow, I felt the familiar burning sensation, but the anger I now experienced dulled the pain. As soon as his guard leaves, I'll have my chance to escape.

It wasn't long before Forezzo led us into another room. Fortunately, it was the same room we were in when we were separated into two groups, so it was right next to the entrance. If I was going to escape, this would be the best time, and I would have to act fast. I glared at the guard, wishing him and his big gun to leave right now. Forezzo walked to the wall of the entrance door and unlocked a case full of... collars. You've got to be kidding.

"Now girls, this is a little protection for you and for me as well," he said, walking over to one of the girls in the group. "No one will harm you if they see this around your neck. However, disobey me and this will be your downfall. Like I said, you just need the right attitude," he said as he snapped the color onto the woman.

"What do you mean downfall?" Gilda asked impatiently as Forezzo placed the collar around her neck.

"Perhaps a demonstration will be best, yes?" He said overly excited.

He grabbed Gilda by the arm and walked her to the entrance, opening the door. He then pushed Gilda outside the door, and instantaneously Gilda was on the ground contorting in pain, screaming like I've never heard anyone scream before. Forezzo dragged Gilda back inside and dropped her on the floor where she continued to whimper and shake. If someone like Gilda can be taken down so easily, there's no way I stood a chance with that collar on. Looking around, I saw the other women staring submissively at the floor. I shook my head in disbelief.

Just then Forezzo ordered the guard to bring a change of clothes for Gilda, who was now sweating profusely. This was my chance. I would have to do this before the guard returned. As Forezzo looked down at Gilda smiling, I pulled the shard out of my jeans and slowly walked towards the door. I looked at Gilda as I made my way to the door, making eye contact with her. She caught on to what I was doing and slightly nodded her head. My stomach suddenly dropped as I saw Forezzo start to turn his head in my direction. Suddenly Gilda started whimpering louder than before, causing Forezzo to look back down at her. Without thinking, I ran behind Forezzo and drove the shard into the side of his neck. He turned around with his hand on his neck, which was now gushing blood, and looked at me in astonishment.

"My little angel," he whispered, suddenly dropping to his knees.

"I am not your angel and I will never be your whore," I said vehemently. He fell face forward into the floor as he looked up at me. It was both satisfying and slightly horrific. I turned to Gilda and the other girls.

"Run while you can. The guard will be back soon," I said quietly before I ran through the entrance.

I started running in the opposite direction we came through, hoping to find someone who could help me. As I ran through the street I could hear men shouting crude things at me, but I didn't care at this point. I'm sure I was a sight running through the streets with my tank top on. I would have to remember to get clothes, but that didn't matter right now. I reached a part of the city that was more crowded than the parts I'd been running through.

Suddenly, there was an explosion about one hundred feet in front of me, making me stop in my tracks. To my amazement, I saw a man who looked human come out of the smoking building. He looked to be around thirty years old, and he was rather cute in his leather outfit. As I ran to him, he looked me up and down with a curious look on his face.

"It's been awhile since I've seen jeans," he said sarcastically, but his face was etched with worry.

"Please help me," I said slightly out of breath. "I was abducted from Earth and I need to get back home. I don't know where I am or what's going on, and frankly I don't care. I just want to go home. Will you help me?" I said in exasperation.

"Well I'm sort of in the middle of saving the galaxy," he said, closing his eyes and rubbing his head in frustration. "But yeah, of course I'll help you. It's not very often I meet another Terran, err I mean Earthling. What's your name?" He asked nicely, ignoring the stares he was receiving from his friends.

"Silvia," I replied. "What's your name? What do you mean you're saving the galaxy?" I asked, becoming slightly worried. He placed his hand on my shoulder, leading me away from his friends.

"You can call me Peter, but others know me as Star Lord," he said completely serious. "The galaxy is a lot more complicated than you think. There are weapons that can completely destroy entire planets, and I'm trying to contain one right now. I have to go to a planet called Xandar first, and then I can figure out a way to get you home. If I don't get this to the Nova Corps, we're all doomed," he said quietly, looking around us to make sure no one was listening.

"You sound kind of crazy," I said warily. "Why are you telling me this anyways? You don't even know me," I said skeptically. If he really was saving the galaxy he shouldn't be revealing his plan to some stranger.

"Well for one, you're from Earth - southern United States if I had to guess - and that pretty much makes you harmless because you don't know what the hell I'm talking about," he said smiling. "And two, you're nice to look at," he said flirtingly. As he looked over my shoulder his smile turned into a frown. "Hide, now! I'll be back," he said, running away with a green woman at his side.

Suddenly I heard the sound of a large hovercraft, and after turning around I discovered a fleet of them heading in my direction. After looking to my right and seeing a large pink man wielding knives and smiling maniacally at the fleet, I decided to take Peter's advice and hide. I could hear people frantically shouting and screaming as the hovercrafts came closer. I ran into the smoking building and hid behind some debris, hoping whatever the hell was coming would not find me. I couldn't hear or see what was going on outside, which only added to my anxiety.

After about twenty minutes of nothing happening, I got out from my hiding spot. I didn't understand why everyone had panicked. As I walked outside I saw people on their knees lined up in execution style. Before them stood a blue woman who appeared to be half robot. Her head snapped to me as if she sensed my presence and I took a step back in response. In quick, inhuman strides she was directly in front of me, tilting her head to the side. She looked behind her in the direction of the people on their knees.

"Is this the one who was seen speaking with the criminal known as Star Lord?" She asked, her voice harsh and slightly robotic sounding.

As one of the men guiltily nodded, I felt the woman's hand tightly grip my arm and pull me in the direction of a large ship. I couldn't help but cry out as the woman's grip tightened when I tried pulling away.

"Let go! You're hurting me," I said angrily. I continued trying to pull away, but her grip only intensified. I started to become frantic as we got closer to the ship. No, this couldn't be happening. I had to stay here so Peter could take me home!

"Get your fucking hands off me," I said through tightly clenched teeth.

"Quiet, Terran," she said sounding slightly annoyed.

"I said let go! Fucking bitch," I said as I dug my feet into the ground. Her head quickly snapped to me.

"You can either comply or I will break your arm. Either way you are coming aboard," she said coldly. Sensing my reluctance, she quickly twisted my arm so it was behind my back, causing me to gasp in pain.

"OK! Fine," I said grimacing. "But where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice growing louder in response to the pain. Much to my embarrassment, my eyes started to tear up as I realized I was once again someone's hostage.

"To Ronan," she said simply.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter song: Strong by London Grammar**_

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><p>The woman turned back around and continued pulling me towards the ship. As I was forced up the ramp, I felt an overwhelming urge to scream, cry, shout, and hit someone. I could feel every emotion building up and my throat felt like it was constricting from all of the pressure. My muscles began tightening up as I thought about everything that had happened within the last twenty-four hours.<p>

I became so lost in my thoughts I didn't even realize we were deep inside the ship. I felt the familiar vibrations as the ship began to depart, but I didn't even care where we were going. All I could think about was this Ronan guy and what he could possibly want with me.

I finally looked up when we came to an abrupt stop. In front of us stood tall, dark, double-doors that looked menacing. The woman turned to the guard standing watch and ordered him to open the door, which he did almost immediately. Quickly, I was dragged through the doors and led down a foreboding hallway.

I urged all of my emotions to go away, but I couldn't stop the tears from falling as I looked down the dark hallway. I angrily wiped away the tears as we stopped in front of another set of doors. This time there was no guard so the woman let go of me to open the doors herself. Once opened, she grabbed ahold of me and roughly pulled me inside, causing me to stumble inside and catch myself on my hands and knees.

"Ronan. This girl was seen conversing with Star Lord. I was told the conversation appeared serious," she said robotically.

"I asked for the orb and you bring me a girl," he said angrily without turning around.

I looked up at the sound of his voice, which seemed to fill the entire room. It was deep, rich, and had an authoritative tone. I could only see his back, but judging from what I saw, this was not a man you wanted to mess with. He had to be almost seven feet tall, which was huge compared to my small five foot frame. He wore dark armor over his entire body, enhancing his broad shoulders and chest. On top of his head he wore matching dark armor in the shape of a hood, so I was unable to see his head. I mustered up what little courage I had left and spoke up.

"P-please," I stammered. "I don't want any trouble..." I said, my voice fading as he turned around.

He was terrifyingly beautiful. His skin was blue, but it was different from all of the other blue aliens I had seen. It had a light purple undertone which reminded me of a twilight sky, and it looked magnificent. His face was marked with black paint around his eyes which connected to his bottom lip and chin. He looked like a warrior, but the way he held himself suggested he was a commander. His presence inspired fear and respect. As his piercing purple eyes met mine, I was left speechless.

I cautiously stood up as he walked towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. I felt my knees start to shake as he came closer, his height becoming increasingly intimidating by the second. The top of my head didn't even reach his shoulders.

He stopped only when he stood two feet from me, causing me to tilt my head backwards to look up at him. His eyes narrowed as he scanned my clothes, making my face turn red when his eyes lingered on my torso.

"Whose blood is that?" He asked, his voice laced with warning. His gaze drifted back up to my face, waiting for me to answer.

Confused, I looked down to see what he was talking about, and much to my surprise there were blood splatters on my tank top and down my right arm. It must be Forezzo's blood. I nervously bit my lip, trying to come up with an answer that didn't involve murder. This man truly terrified me and I did not want a reason to be on his bad side.

"I was, umm, painting earlier. It's not...blood," I answered anxiously without looking up.

When he didn't respond, I hesitantly looked up until I met his eyes. His eyes burned into mine, as they now seemed to be filled with hidden rage. I took a step back without thinking, frightened by his sudden change in demeanor.

As I stepped back, his left hand quickly snatched my left hand, grasping my pinky finger. Before I could even process what he was doing, I saw black spots dance before my eyes as I felt excruciating pain in my hand. I fell to my knees screaming and cradled my hand to my chest. Looking down, I saw that my pinky finger was now unnaturally bent sideways, pointing outwards. My hand seemed to have a pulse of its own as pain radiated from my hand up into my arm. Now crying hysterically, I looked up at him, my eyes wide from shock, fear, and horrible pain.

"Leave us," he said to the robotic woman who was still standing by the door. I heard the door close behind me and desperately wished for a way out of here.

"Why - did you - do that?" I cried out in between sobs. I could see tears dropping onto the floor as I leaned over, gently cradling my hand.

"The next lie you speak will be your last, Terran. Whose blood is that?" He asked threateningly. He appeared unphased by my distraught state as he looked down at me, anger still lurking in his eyes.

"His name was Forezzo. He was going to turn me into one of his whores. I didn't know what else to do, I'm sorry! I had to escape," I cried desperately, looking up at him from the floor.

"What is your relationship to Star Lord?" He promptly asked.

"Who is…." I started to ask, but as Ronan's eyes narrowed at me I realized who he was talking about. Star Lord was Peter. The man who said would take me home. I looked down, too scared to make eye contact with Ronan. I didn't want Peter to get in trouble, he actually seemed nice. "I don't really know him, I just met him," I said sniffling.

Ronan must have sensed that I was hiding something, because the next thing I knew I was being slammed against the wall behind me. The back of my head collided with the wall, causing everything in my vision to spin. My head swayed on my shoulders before Ronan roughly grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look up at him. I whimpered as my vision refocused and I saw Ronan's eyes looking deeply into mine, almost as if he was searching for something.

"Tell me what you know," he said slowly, his grip tightening on my jaw. I winced as the pain became too much.

"Please, just let me go home," I cried pitifully, looking up at him again. He scowled at me in response, baring his teeth which appeared to be coated in the same black paint. His large, rough hand lowered to my neck. I could feel his fingers wrap almost completely around my neck.

"I will end your pitiful life this instant if you do not tell me what you know," he growled as he lifted me up by my neck.

My eyes grew wide in fear as my toes were lifted off the floor and I felt the blood flow being cut off to my head. My hands instinctively clung to his arm, trying to pull it away. Within seconds I felt my eyes grow heavy and just as my vision began to fade, I was dropped to the floor, instantly gasping for breath. The sudden rush of blood to my head made it feel unbearably heavy, so I remained on the floor face up, looking up at Ronan who was now towering over me. When I felt tears leave the corners of my eyes, I couldn't help but feel angry at myself for being so weak.

"Speak, Terran," he said threateningly as he placed his boot on top of my neck.

"He said something about a weapon that could destroy planets," I began slowly, still trying to catch my breath. "He's taking it to a place called Zandoor or Sandar I think," I said tiredly.

The answer seemed to satisfy him because he lifted his boot off of my neck and proceeded to slowly pace next to me. I lifted my hand to my neck and could feel indentions where his boot had been. I watched him pace back and forth, thinking quietly to himself. At this point my finger stopped hurting as much, but that was because the circulation was now cut off from the broken bone. It was starting to turn white, and I felt sick looking at it. As I sat up, he looked at me from the corner of his eyes, his body slightly turned away.

"Why would he reveal his plans to a supposed stranger?" He asked, his eyes darkening.

"He said because I'm harmless and… never mind. He was being stupid," I said too quickly.

"Tell me," he said impatiently, turning his body towards me.

"He said I was… nice to look at," I said embarrassed. I looked up to see his reaction and caught him smirk before turning away.

"Nebula," he said loudly. Within seconds the blue robotic woman walked in, waiting for Ronan to speak.

"Take her to a cell and see that she is fed," he said, his eyes now filled with determination.

"What is happening?" Nebula asked, sensing Ronan's excitement.

"We are going to Xandar," he said amused, turning away from us. I stood there defeated, feeling my heart sink. What have I done? Peter is going to be killed by this psychopath because of me. He was a stranger, but he was the first nice person I met since I was abducted. He was going to take me home and he didn't even know me.

Nebula began pulling on my shoulder to take me to my cell, but Ronan turned around to face me once again.

"Wait," he said, walking over to me in purposeful strides. "Tell me your name," he said, looking down at me.

"Silvia," I said meekly. I didn't like how he was standing so close to me. He reached for my left hand and I instinctively started pulling away from him trying to escape, but he managed to get ahold of me.

"No! I didn't lie to you! I swear! Please," I cried, flailing around as he held my wrist.

"Be still," he said loudly in a commanding voice. His tone suggested he was not going to tolerate my defiance, so I quietly cried and braced myself for the pain. My tightly squinted eyes slowly opened when I didn't feel any pain.

He held my left hand with both of his hands, turning it in different directions while he inspected my broken finger. His large blue hands made my hand look tiny in comparison. I watched his face as he examined my hand, giving me the opportunity to admire his features more closely. He had a heart-shaped face with a prominent chin which gave him a masculine appearance. His deep-set eyes were intimidating to look upon, and his high cheekbones and long, sharp nose made him look very wise. When he wasn't scowling, his wide, defined lips slightly turned up at the corners, giving him a menacing look. I was still staring at his lips when I noticed he was looking directly at me.

As we made eye contact, I felt him abruptly twist my broken finger, causing me to scream and writhe in his grasp. He continued to pull and twist on my finger while I yelled in response. After a full minute of this horrible pain, I was covered in sweat and started to feel sick to my stomach. As I heard my finger pop into place, I gripped onto the nearest thing, which happened to be Ronan's arm, and fell unconscious at his feet.

When I awoke, I was lying on a cold, metal floor, covered in goose bumps. Shakily, I stood up and looked around my new cell. Compared to the cell on Yondu's ship, this room was a palace. It wasn't necessarily large, but there was still plenty of space and it was spotlessly clean. There was a single light in the middle of the ceiling which emitted a bluish-white glow. In front of me there was a metal cot that had a thin blanket and pillow, neatly tucked into place. Next to the cot there was a simple metal table. On the wall opposite of the bed, there was an archway that led into a small bathroom which contained a toilet, sink, and shower. Everything was extremely clean and made of silver metal. Unfortunately there was no mirror this time, so my previous method of escaping was not an option.

My whole body felt utterly disgusting from today's previous events. Tears and sweat left my body feeling grimy and dry. When I undressed, I stuck my panties in the sink and washed them thoroughly. It didn't feel right to clean my body only to put dirty panties back on. As I stepped into the small shower, I was surprised to see built-in soap dispensers in the shower wall. I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling of hot water running down my back. I almost forgot about my pinky finger until I started washing my hair and it erupted in pain.

After thirty minutes of peaceful solitude, I stepped outside of the shower and quickly got dressed. When I walked out of the bathroom I was startled to see a tray sitting on the table next to my cot. On the tray there was a plate of food I did not recognize, a glass of water, and a pill.

Not a second later, Nebula walked into my cell and closed the door behind her with more force than necessary. She looked me up and down, noticing my dripping wet hair and looked at the tray behind me. She placed one hand on her hip, looking slightly annoyed.

"Why haven't you eaten your food, Terran?" she asked while gesturing to the food behind me.

"Well, I literally saw it five seconds ago. I'll eat it, trust me," I said, but she didn't seem amused. "So what is the pill for?" I asked trying to lighten the mood. She looked at me for a few seconds as if she was deciding whether or not to answer me.

"It will speed up the healing process in your hand. Eat. Now," she said before turning around and walking out of the cell.

I walked over to the tray and inspected the food. It looked like some kind of roll, fruit, and meat. I tried the bread and it tasted kind of like sour dough bread, but sweeter. The meat had a gamey taste that reminded me of elk, but it was extremely chewy. The fruit resembled and even tasted like a banana, except it was green and much smaller. When I was done eating I felt full and satisfied. I promptly took my pill and drank my glass of water.

Ten minutes later I felt a warm, fuzzy feeling overcome my body and I was soon lying immobilized on my bed. It felt similar to the effect pain killers had on me when I had my wisdom teeth removed. I felt like I was spinning, yet I was lying perfectly still. I held my hand out in front of my face and examined my pinky finger. It was swollen and covered in purple bruises, but at the moment it didn't hurt one bit.

I started giggling, but I wasn't sure why because there was absolutely nothing funny to laugh about. I was being held prisoner on an alien spaceship. I closed my eyes trying to stay serious, but I ended up laughing even harder thinking about my situation. I was high as a kite.

When I was done laughing I sighed contentedly and opened my eyes. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not because suddenly Ronan was standing over me, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at me. I couldn't help but giggle at how serious he appeared. How did I not hear him come in? I knew I should be afraid of him, but the pill was seriously messing with my judgment. I honestly still didn't know if this was real or not.

I tried sitting up but my body felt so heavy I quickly fell back down to the bed smiling. I lazily rolled over onto my side facing him and started reaching out to touch the armor on his leg. It looked so soft. He stepped backwards out of my reach as he saw my hand reach for him, and sat down in a chair he had facing my cot. I pouted in disappointment and let my arm hang over the bed.

"Silvia," he said in a low voice, resting his hands on each of his thighs. "What else did Star Lord say to you?" he asked seriously.

"You said my name," I whispered, completely ignoring his question. "It sounds nice when you say it," I said smiling._ Wait, why did I just say that?_

"Answer the question," he said, warning me. He leaned forward in his chair as if ready to strike.

"He has to get it to the Nova Corps or else we're doomed," I said, mocking Ronan's serious tone. When I looked up he did not look like he found my impersonation funny at all. In fact, he looked quite pissed.

"You know… you're the one who tortured ME earlier, so if anyone has a right to be angry it's me….which I am by the way! This fucking pill…" I slurred, unable to finish the sentence. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warm feeling I felt over my body.

"You should be grateful I attended to your injury," he said sharply. I could feel his eyes burning into my face as I genuinely laughed.

"You want me to be grateful that you fixed my finger... which you broke in the first place," I said disbelievingly, opening my eyes to look at him.

"You will quickly learn that all actions have consequences, Terran," he said harshly, leaning back into his chair. I frowned as he called me Terran. It sounded so demeaning when he used it, like it was a disease or something.

"Now tell me," he continued. "Who was with Star Lord when you spoke with him?" he asked determinedly.

I had to think about that for a few seconds. It was becoming harder to form thoughts in my head. I had no idea what this pill was, but it was turning me into a slurring drunkard by the second. I reached up to rub my eyes as I tried to recall running up to Peter in front of the smoking building. My eyes popped open as I remembered.

"A raccoon…. A tree….." I said as he stared at me with an incredulous look upon his face. "Oh and a green woman," I said matter-of-factly.

I started to play with my damp hair which was falling in between my breasts. I casually twirled my hair around my finger, completely forgetting that Ronan was there. I glanced up and caught him staring at my chest. I looked back down and realized my breasts were pushed together from lying sideways, making them appear even larger. I stopped twirling my hair and immediately rolled onto my back, turning my head away from him.

"It's rude to stare you know," I said annoyed. I really hated wearing this stupid tank top. "And also, I could really use a tooth brush," I said mumbling as I crossed my arms over my chest.

I heard his chair scrape against the metal floor as he stood up angrily and stormed out of the room.

When I woke up in the morning, there was a tooth brush and paste sitting on the table next to my bed.

I guess it wasn't a dream after all.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter song: Human by Christina Perri**_

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><p>As I sat up in my bed my body still felt a little groggy from the pill. I lazily reached for the tooth brush and paste on the table next to my bed, staring at it in disbelief. Did that really happen last night? What the hell was I thinking? I sighed as I remembered telling him it sounded nice when he said my name. Damn him and that fucking pill. I couldn't face him now after acting like a complete idiot. I put my hand to my forehead as I recalled trying to touch the armor on his leg. It made no sense for me to want to touch that bastard. He tortured me. He mutilated my hand.<p>

Thinking about my hand led me to look down at it. Right away I noticed that the bruising was almost gone and the pain was hardly noticeable. How was that possible? I guess the pill really did help me after all. But, he still came into my cell knowing that I would be fucked up. He took advantage of my vulnerable state and proceeded to interrogate me. Fuck that guy!

I angrily stomped into the bathroom and began furiously brushing my teeth as I thought about last night. That man had no honor at all. My hand stopped mid-stroke as I vaguely remembered Ronan storming out of the room, but I couldn't remember why he had been so angry when he left. As I continued brushing my teeth, I tried to call to mind what happened beforehand, but everything was a blur.

When I stepped out of the bathroom I was unsurprised to find another tray of food sitting by my bed. As if on cue, Nebula opened the door and quickly walked over to me, looking me up and down. Seeing that my food was untouched, she started to speak but I quickly interrupted her.

"Yes, I will eat the food," I said turning around.

On the tray there was a bowl filled with something that looked like porridge and the same fruit I had last night. I sat down on the bed with the tray in my lap and quickly began eating as Nebula watched me. As I took my last bite, she immediately pulled the tray out of my lap and threw it onto the table. She then proceeded to grab me by my arm and pull me up into a standing position.

"Come. Ronan demands your presence," she said, already pulling me to the door.

"Why?" I asked angrily. "I've already told him everything I know," I said as I was forced through the hallway.

She ignored my question and continued pulling me along until we reached a thick set of doors. Immediately she opened the doors and pushed me inside but she didn't come in after me. As I turned around I saw her smirk and close the doors behind me. I turned back around expecting to see Ronan, but I was all alone.

It was an impressively large room. The floors and ceiling were covered in a dark metal which made the room look menacing. The ceiling had to be at least thirty feet high, making the room appear even larger. Slowly, I began walking forward until I reached a large, metallic structure. As I stepped in front of it to get a better angle, I realized it was a chair. Ronan's chair. I rolled my eyes and slowly turned around.

In front of me was a long hallway and at the end there was a large window that reached from floor to ceiling. I walked over to the window and looked out to see a planet that resembled Earth. The sight made my eyes water as I thought of my family and friends back home who were probably searching for me. As I gazed out the window I couldn't help but admire the beautiful sight. Everywhere I looked I could see twinkling stars and tiny planets in the distance. I stood there staring, becoming lost in the depths of the galaxy.

I was brought out of my stupor when I heard heavy footsteps slowly approaching me from behind. I remained facing the window, trying my best to appear unmoved by Ronan's presence, but I couldn't stop myself from slightly trembling as I heard him stop within arm's reach.

"You drugged me," I said angrily. "That pill made me act like a fucking idiot," I said turning around, looking up at him. His eyes burned into mine, but his mouth was slightly curved up on one side as if he was amused.

"It helped your hand, did it not?" He said in a deep, mocking voice. I looked down at my hand, unable to argue with his point. He stepped closer to me, looking down at me smugly.

"It seemed an appropriate time to extract information from you. It didn't take long before the truth came spilling from your mouth, Silvia," he said slowly, emphasizing my name. I realized the son of a bitch was mocking me. My face started to flush in embarrassment.

"Asshole," I said as I pulled my hand back to strike him.

Before I could even ball my hand into a fist, he had his hand tightly wrapped around my wrist, holding it up beside my head. As he stared down at me with disapproval, his grip became alarmingly painful, and I couldn't help but whimper in response. I stared back in defiance as he slightly tilted his head down in warning.

The two of us became locked in a stare-down until he growled and squeezed my wrist with much more force than before. I cried out and finally looked away as the pain became intolerable. Satisfied by my submission, Ronan roughly threw my wrist down and looked down at me with his chin held high.

"Why am I here?" I asked, turning back around to look at the Earth-like planet. I tried to sound brave, but my voice wavered with fear and pain. I rubbed my aching wrist which was already starting to bruise.

"I want you to witness what is about to happen," he said loudly. "You are, after all, partly responsible for it," he said as he stepped next to me. I turned my head to look up at him, confused by what he said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked hesitantly. I did not like where this was going.

"Your information was correct. The orb is indeed on Xandar and soon it will be in my possession. When that happens, I will unfurl one thousand years of Kree justice on Xandar and burn it to its core," he said venomously. He stared at the planet with pure hatred in his eyes as he spoke.

"But if you destroy an entire planet you will kill millions of innocent people," I said, horrified at what he was saying.

"Long have I waited for this day. I will finally avenge my father and his father and his father before him, and cleanse the galaxy of Xandarians and their diseased culture," he said as he started walking away.

"Wait!" I cried out, grabbing onto his arm. He roughly jerked his arm away without even turning around and continued walking. I ran in front of him and placed my hands on his chest, trying to push him back.

"You can't do this! This is evil," I yelled, leaning forward with all of my weight.

He barely even glanced in my direction as he reached out with one hand and sent me flying against the wall. As my back collided with the hard metal, I got the wind knocked out of me, which caused me to gasp and groan for air. By the time I had recovered, Ronan was already gone.

I ran to the window, staring at the planet which reminded me of home. I saw a small spaceship heading towards the planet, which I assumed held Ronan inside. I stared at his ship hoping it would miraculously explode before he reached the planet, but of course that did not happen. I lost sight of him when his ship entered Xandar's stratosphere, and instantly my eyes started filling with tears.

This was my fault. He never would have known where to find the orb if I hadn't told him. Millions, possibly billions, of people were going to be killed and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. I stood there watching the planet from the window, hoping something would go horribly wrong for Ronan. Maybe the Xandarians would be able to defeat him. There had to be at least one person in this galaxy who could stop him.

I placed my hands on the window as I closely watched the planet for any signs of change. It felt like I had been standing there for hours, but nothing happened. I actually started to feel hopeful. As I started to relax and lower my gaze, I noticed something flash in the corner of my eye.

I looked up and noticed a purple light slowly spreading over the planet's surface, followed by darkness. My hands slammed against the window and I gasped in horror as I watched Xandar's oceans turn into wastelands.

"No! No! No!" I screamed over and over, pounding my hands against the window.

My heart felt like it was being torn apart as I watched the planet fade to black. In my mind I imagined people screaming and running for their lives, and children being obliterated before their parent's eyes. Xandar was completely destroyed within thirty seconds. I fell to my knees crying, my hands still pressed against the window.

"I'm sorry," I wailed. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm so sorry," I cried to no one.

Through blurry tear-filled eyes I watched Ronan's ship return. I suddenly felt a burning, white-hot rage I had never felt before. My body started to shake with the fury I now felt deep inside me. My hands clenched into tight fists as I stood up, causing my knuckles to turn white. I slowly stood up, my body rigid with emotion. As I heard Ronan's footsteps behind me, I turned away from the destroyed planet and faced him.

In his hand he carried a large hammer that looked to be about my height. In the middle of the head there was a stone that glowed purple - the same color purple I had seen spread over the planet. I looked at him with pure loathing and he stopped in his tracks, and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Murderer! You disgusting, evil, bastard!" I screamed, walking towards him with my fists tightly clenched at my sides. "You just murdered millions of innocent people, you heartless monster!" I said, my voice dripping with animosity. I only stopped when he pointed his hammer at me.

"Do not speak of things you know nothing about!" He spat, his face contorted with anger. I took a step closer to his hammer, not caring anymore what he did to me. He tilted the head of his hammer sideways as if he was going to use it, but he remained standing there staring at me.

"Do it! Kill me! Get it over with already," I cried out angrily, tears running down my face.

"Be careful what you say, Terran," he said darkly, his eyes narrowing in disbelief as I took a step closer. He immediately pulled his arm back so the hammer wouldn't touch me.

"Please, I can't live like this! I'm the reason they're dead…all those people…" I said hysterically. I fell to my knees at his feet, looking up at him desperately. "You have no use for me anymore! Let me go or kill me now!" I said, my voice breaking at the end as my emotions took over.

"I'll be the one to decide when you are no longer useful," he said angrily. I fell forward onto my hands at his words, shaking my head and crying loudly. "Stop your pathetic mewling before I give you a real reason to cry, girl," he said looking down at me with disgust.

"I hate you," I said, my voice barely a whisper as I continued to cry on the floor.

He walked over to me and kicked me in my stomach, causing me to cry out and fall to my side. I lied there for several seconds dry heaving until I felt his boot dig into my shoulder, forcing me to roll over onto my back. I looked up to see him scowling at me as I tried to catch my breath.

"Fuck you," I said through clenched teeth. I angrily spat at him from the floor and smiled when I saw it land on his face. He wiped his face with his left hand, looking furious and disgusted at the same time. As he looked down at me, I felt my blood run cold with fear. I didn't think it was possible to look as angry as he did at that moment.

He bent over and ferociously grabbed me by my neck, suspending me in the air as if I weighed nothing. I hung there helplessly clinging to his arm for support as my legs wildly kicked below me. He pulled me closer so our faces were only inches apart. I dangled there in his grasp, choking for air as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

"You will learn your place, mortal," he growled. I could feel his hot breath on my face as he spoke.

My eyes began fluttering as I came closer to the sweet release of unconsciousness. Through half-closed eyes I watched Ronan scowl at me with so much hatred I wondered why he didn't just kill me now. When my legs stopped moving underneath me, I instantaneously felt as if I were flying. For a second I really thought he killed me, but I was quickly disappointed as my body slammed against the floor.

I was sliding backwards on the floor until my head collided with something hard, causing me to see stars. I looked to my side and saw that my head was resting at the foot of Ronan's chair. With trembling fingers I slowly reached behind my head and felt warm wetness. As I held my fingers in front of my face I saw that they were covered in blood. My arm fell to the floor as I became too weak to hold up its weight.

With my limbs sprawled out before him, I stared up at Ronan unable to move, and prayed that he was done torturing me.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I whispered as I watched him saunter over to my helpless body. I noticed him look down at my right hand which was covered in the blood from my head, and for a second I thought he look worried, but that look was gone before I could really think about it.

I saw his lips move, but I didn't hear what he was saying because I was already drifting into darkness.

When I opened my eyes I was staring at a ceiling with a familiar bluish-white light. I groaned as I realized that I was back in my cell. Why didn't he just kill me? What is it going to take for him to set me free from this hellhole?

I hissed in pain as I sat up and felt the outcome of Ronan's wrath. My wrist was swollen and covered in purple bruises. My neck felt sore and extremely tight, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. When I got up from the bed I saw blood on my pillow where my head had been resting. My hands touched the back of my head, becoming tangled in the crusty, blood-covered hair. As my fingers felt around my scalp, I winced as they brushed along a small, raised line. It didn't feel like stitches, but it definitely felt like the laceration had been closed.

I staggered to the bathroom and carefully stripped my clothes off. I stepped into the shower and leaned against the wall with my head propped against my arm. As I turned the water on I closed my eyes and let the warmth relieve my aching body. My head was stinging where I had been cut, but it felt nice to get the blood out of my hair. Standing there in the hot shower allowed me to think clearly, and fairly quickly I thought of a way to escape. The plan was definitely rushed and not well-planned, but I couldn't stay here any longer.

I jumped out of the shower and dressed more quickly than usual, my heart pounding in anticipation. I smiled as I walked out of the bathroom and saw the tray of food sitting by my cot. Immediately I went down to the floor, making myself look like I had fallen and moaned in pain. Right on cue, Nebula walked in and looked at me down on the floor apprehensively.

"What is wrong, Terran?" She asked seriously, kneeling down next to me.

"My heart… I think… having a heart attack," I said between gasps, grabbing at my chest. I tightly squeezed my eyes and yelled as if I was in horrible agony.

"Damn it," she said angrily before running out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

I looked up as she was running out and swiftly jumped to my feet. I ran to the door and glanced to the right and left, making sure it was clear for me to go. When I didn't see anyone I started sprinting down the hallway, running faster than I thought I was capable of. Along the left side of the hallway there were dozens of doors, some of which were open, and I glanced inside them as I ran by hoping to find a way out.

When I reached the middle of the hallway there was a larger door than the others, and I quickly stopped to look inside. To my amazement, it was filled with hundreds of smaller spacecrafts and there didn't appear to be anyone watching guard. I cautiously stepped through the door and glanced to each side. It was empty. I ran slightly hunched over, trying to stay as low as possible, and ran to the spacecraft which was positioned closest to the exit door. I quietly climbed up the spacecraft and pushed several buttons on the outside until the door lifted vertically into the air.

I slid inside the craft, pulling the door down with me until it made a mechanical hissing sound. The door closing must have activated the craft, because immediately all of the lights on the dashboard turned on. As the engine slowly started rumbling, I felt cold oxygen flow through the vents. _OK, so maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all._

To my right there was a lever with a red handle, and it looked like it was somehow related to the speed. I turned the steering wheel, pointing it towards the large, exit door, and gently pushed on the red stick. I laughed with joy when I actually started moving forward. My happiness was short lived as I heard angry feminine shouting behind me. I turned to see Nebula running towards my ship with inhuman speed.

Suddenly panicking, I clumsily pushed the lever upwards which caused my ship to jolt forward with unexpected speed. I started screaming as my ship quickly advanced towards the door which still remained closed. Just as I thought I was going to crash, the wide metal door lifted up and I was able to pass through.

I looked out my windshield, completely amazed at what I saw. Whatever galaxy we were in, it was absolutely gorgeous. Everywhere I looked I could see stars, moons, and colorful planets. I couldn't believe I was actually flying in outer space right now. I turned around to look at Ronan's ship and I couldn't help but shiver at the sight of it. It definitely was not the ship I had boarded when Nebula captured me, because if it was I would have peed my pants. We must have connected to this ship when I fell unconscious the first night.

His ship was huge and terrifying, as if it was built specifically to destroy and conquer. The wings of it were long and sort of resembled a strand of DNA, and they both constantly rotated in a spiral motion. In between the two wings was the main body of the ship, and in the front I recognized the large window I looked out of when Xandar was destroyed.

A loud beeping noise suddenly filled my ship, causing me to cover my ears with my hands. I looked around desperately trying to find where the noise was coming from, but the only thing I saw was a bright, red light flashing on the dashboard. As I leaned forward to get a closer look, my ship completely shut down. I started frantically hitting buttons, trying to turn everything back on, but nothing helped.

Without the engine, I knew I would run out of oxygen fast. I tried to keep my breathing slow and steady so I wouldn't use it all up at once, but I started to panic as my ship began to drift back towards Ronan's ship. I twisted on the steering wheel, willing it to go in any direction, but I had absolutely no control over my ship anymore. I felt like I was sitting in a car floating down a river, completely helpless with no control whatsoever.

As I gravitated closer to his ship, I could see Ronan standing in the window staring in my direction. I couldn't see his face, but judging from his body language he was furious. His posture was wide and he clasped his hammer with both of his hands. When my ship was about thirty feet from his, I could clearly see the rage behind his eyes. I was especially grateful at that moment for not being within his reach.

The tension between us was palpable as we both stared at each other from a distance. The look he gave me had me pinned to my seat shaking with apprehension. I would have laughed if my situation weren't so dire at the moment. This had been without a doubt the worst plan ever. I had no idea why I thought this would work. I saw Nebula walk up behind him and say something, and I watched his lips move in response.

Suddenly I saw his head snap up as he looked at something to the side of my ship. His mouth moved as if he was yelling something, and Nebula quickly ran off. I turned my head to see what he was staring at and I felt my stomach flip. There was a small meteoroid heading straight for my ship, and it was coming fast. As I made eye contact with Ronan again, I noticed his eyebrows were drawn together and his mouth was unusually relaxed instead of scowling. I didn't have time to figure out what that facial expression meant, because a second later my ship was struck.

It was cold.

I couldn't breathe.

And there was complete silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: So if you haven't already noticed, I will be adding chapters fairly quickly! I don't like to keep people waiting... and honestly I can't wait to find out what happens between Ronan and Silvia ;) <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter song: Honey by Torres_**

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><p>I drifted weightlessly among the stars, relishing in the feeling of absolute freedom. Out here I could go wherever my heart desired and become someone completely different. I no longer had to be afraid or weak. I discovered planets, named constellations, and even explored other galaxies. It was perfect.<p>

I flew by a blue planet and quickly became fascinated with its beautiful color. I had seen that color before, and in the back of my mind I knew it reminded me of something, but I couldn't remember what. As I placed my foot down onto the planet, it sank into the ground, trapping me like quick sand. I tried to pull myself out but the harder I struggled, the deeper I sank, and eventually I was devoured by darkness.

I inhaled loudly as I woke up, still frightened by the nightmare I had just experienced. Slowly I opened my eyes and realized I was not in my cell. I quickly sat up in a large bed that was not mine, and noticed right away how comfortable this one was. It reminded me of my bed back home. It even had sheets and a comforter that felt like silk, but the frame of the bed reminded me of Ronan's throne, and the thought of that made me frown.

As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but notice how grand this room seemed in comparison to my old cell. The ceilings were probably fifteen feet high and there were elaborate carvings in the walls that reminded me of ancient Aztec. The room was dark like the rest of the ship, but there were several wall sconces that emitted the same bluish-white light as I had in my previous cell.

I warily stepped down from the bed, wondering why I wasn't in pain. I didn't feel sore anywhere on my body, which was weird considering I was hit by a meteoroid. I looked down at my body in confusion, looking for any signs of trauma or abuse, but there wasn't a single bruise or scratch on my body. I was even still wearing my jeans and tank top.

There were three doors in my room. Every wall had a door except for the wall of my bed. The door opposite my bed was the largest of the three, so I assumed that was the door that led into the hallway. I walked to the second door, which was located on the left side of the room, desperately hoping it would lead me to a shower. I pulled on it, but it seemed to be locked. I walked to the opposite side of the room and tried the other door, this time being successful.

I slowly opened the door and found myself very pleased with what I saw. Inside was a large bathroom, completely covered from floor to wall with dark slate tile. Everything in the room looked surprisingly modern and very similar to a human bathroom, except the appliances were made of a shiny metal not found on Earth. To my right was a slate tile shower, complete with a glass door and a waterfall showerhead. To my delight, there was an oversized, metal bathtub right next to it. It looked extremely complicated to use with all of its nozzles, but I was determined to figure it out.

After ten minutes of twisting on various nozzles, I finally figured out how to get the water to come out. I quickly began filling the metal tub up and stood there impatiently watching with excitement. I pressed down on another nozzle which produced a clear liquid that smelled similar to eucalyptus. I tried another and happily found it to smell like rosemary. As the tub started filling up with bubbles, the alluring aroma of eucalyptus and rosemary suffused the room, and I closed my eyes relishing in its scent. I stripped my clothes off and sank into the deep tub, unable to suppress the moan that escaped my lips.

The water felt heavenly on my skin as I dunked my head under water. The scented liquids had an oily base to them, but it didn't make my skin or hair feel greasy. Instead, it felt like the oils were cleansing and moisturizing my skin and hair at the same time. I had never felt anything like this before and it felt amazing. I rested my head back against the tub, closing my eyes and sighing contently, as I momentarily forgot about my problems.

"You're awake," I heard a familiar deep voice say. My eyes popped open in surprise at the sound of Ronan's voice and I immediately became self-conscious of the fact that I was naked. Fortunately, the tub was still overflowing with bubbles, so my naked body remained hidden from his sight.

"Get out," I shouted in embarrassment as I sank deeper into the bubbles, so only my head was poking out.

"You forget yourself. This is _my_ ship," he said angrily, stalking over to me. "Get out and dress yourself. It is time we discuss your fate," he said looking down at me, his eyes roaming over the bubbles that concealed my body.

"I will get dressed when you leave," I said quietly, suddenly becoming nervous. I felt my stomach tighten at his words, wondering if he was finally going to kill me, and noticed my mouth had become dry with fear.

"You do not set the conditions here, Terran," he said in a low voice, his eyes burning into mine. We stared at each other for several seconds as I remained in the tub, unmoving. With his mouth turned down in irritation, he turned sideways still looking at me. "Do not keep me waiting," he warned as he strode out of the bathroom, roughly closing the door behind him.

I sighed in relief as I watched him walk away, becoming genuinely surprised that he didn't just pull me out of the tub. I sat there puzzled by his behavior, wondering what it could mean, but I honestly couldn't figure the man out. I stood up shakily from the anxiety that plagued my body and climbed out of the huge tub. I walked over to a cabinet full of towels and wrapped one of the silky sheets around my body. By the sink I found my tooth brush and paste, and I quickly began brushing my teeth, not wanting to keep Ronan waiting too long.

When I opened the bathroom door, I saw Ronan standing on the opposite side of my bed, unmoving as he watched me gingerly step out of the bathroom. I walked to the side of the bed closest to me and ran my fingers over the silky sheets, trying to appear unafraid. I looked up at him from across the bed and saw him frowning at me, almost like he was bothered by my casual demeanor.

"So… you wanted to talk," I said slowly, looking back down at the bed, still running my fingers back and forth along the soft fabric. The motion seemed to have a therapeutic effect on my nerves.

"No one has ever escaped from the Dark Aster before, especially not under my watch," he said, his voice reverberating around the room. I could feel his eyes watching me, and I shifted nervously on my feet.

"You impressed me, Terran," he said, his voice giving away nothing. I looked up at his words, shocked by what he said.

"Impressed," I said bewildered. I stared at him with my eyes narrowed in confusion, placing my hands on my hips.

"Indeed," he said raising his chin. "Your Terran body was able to endure the harsh extremities of space. Your recovery was uncertain, yet here you stand," he said, almost sounding proud.

"How long was I out for?" I asked surprised.

"Ten days," he said, his eyes closely watching my face.

"Why didn't you just let me die?" I asked, confused by his actions. This didn't make any sense. Why would he waste his time treating me when it would have been easier to just let me die out there?

"You have proven yourself useful. With proper training you will become a worthy asset to my army," he said, his eyes darkening as he gauged my reaction. I stood there with my mouth hanging open, shaking my head in morbid disbelief.

"What is the MATTER with you?" I asked, bringing my hands up to my head in a frustrated manner. I was genuinely questioning his sanity at the moment. His eyes widened with anger as I continued to speak.

"I haven't forgotten about you destroying an entire planet! You are fucking crazy if you thought I would go along with this. Putting me in a nice room is not going to make me OK with your psychopathic tendencies," I said angrily, motioning dramatically with my hands. By the time I stopped speaking, Ronan was scowling at me furiously.

"I saved your life and you dare refuse my offer?" he said, his voice growing louder as he spoke.

"I didn't ask to be saved - I was trying to escape you! I would rather have been that bastard's whore than your assassin!" I shouted bitterly, my eyes watering with anger.

"Is that so," he said in a dangerously low voice, his face turning deadly serious.

"Yes," I answered weakly, unsure where this was going. He slowly started walking around the bed, his eyes filled with malice as he glared at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice rising in panic as he reached the foot of the bed.

He remained silent as he continued stalking towards me, which made him even more frightening. He chillingly reminded me of a lion right before it attacks its prey. When he reached my side of the bed I panicked and jumped onto the bed, trying to cross over before he reached me.

As I reached the middle of the bed, I felt a strong hand wrap around my ankle and violently pull me backwards, forcing me to fall facedown into the mattress. I screamed as he pulled me backwards towards him, my hands pulling the sheets along with me as I desperately tried to escape him. As my legs fell over the edge of the bed I started to stand up, but as I did Ronan roughly bent me over the bed. He leaned over my back, pushing me down with one hand in between my shoulder blades, and forcefully spread my legs apart with his feet.

"Get off of me! What are you doing?!" I screamed angrily as I tried to reach behind my back to hit him. In an instant, he had my arms pinned behind my back with both of my wrists in his hand. His other hand wrapped itself in my hair and harshly turned my head to the side, pinning it to the bed.

"You would rather be a _whore_," he growled into my ear, causing goose bumps to appear on my neck. "I will grant you your request," he said darkly as he let go of my hair and slid his hand down to my waist.

"No! Stop it!" I cried out desperately, suddenly becoming terrified. I began screaming in fear as I felt his fingers pull on my jeans, causing them to rip down the middle.

He let my arms go so he could use both of his hands to pull my shredded jeans off, allowing me the opportunity to crawl across the bed. As I stood on the opposite side of the bed wearing only my tank top and thong, he casually threw my jeans off to the side, and stared at me menacingly. I turned and ran to the door behind me, pulling desperately on it as I cried, but it was locked just as before.

When I turned around Ronan was already on my side of the room, his eyes dark with determination as he walked towards me. There was nowhere for me to go as he trapped me in the corner, and I began crying with fear as my back hit the wall. I held up my hands in front of me, trying to keep him away, but he easily grabbed them and pinned them at my sides.

"You defy me at every opportunity, yet you always end up crying pathetically," he said mockingly as he looked down at me.

"Fuck you," I yelled defiantly before I could stop myself. My eyes were overflowing with tears as I struggled against his grip.

"Perhaps breaking your pride will make you more compliant," he said, his voice rough with anger.

He picked me up by my upper arms and sent me flying in the air with no effort at all. I roughly landed in the middle of the bed on my back, and before I could sit up Ronan had my arms pinned above my head, with both wrists in one hand. His armor felt hard and cold against my legs as he spread my legs open with his knees. His eyes burned into mine as he held his face only inches above mine.

"Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it," I cried out, looking at him pleadingly. "Please don't do this! I'll do anything," I said as I sobbed uncontrollably.

"I warned you that your actions will have consequences," he growled as he ripped my tank top off of me as if it were made of paper.

"Nooo! Please!" I screamed hysterically, feeling as if my heart were about to explode.

I struggled madly underneath him, trying to twist my body away from him, but his hand and knees had me pinned to the bed. He smirked down at me as he watched me uselessly struggle below him, seeming to enjoy my discomfort. As I felt his hand reach behind my back to unclasp my bra, I started shaking my head as I cried loudly below him. This couldn't be happening to me.

"Ronan, please! I can't do this! I've never done this before," I begged, my voice hoarse from screaming. His head snapped up at my words, looking at me like he didn't understand me.

"Never done _what_ before?" He growled, pulling my hair back so I was forced to look up at him.

"_This!_" I cried desperately. "I've never even been naked in front of a man," I said closing my eyes with shame as his stare suddenly became intense.

"You've never lain with a Terran before," he said quietly to himself as if he couldn't believe it.

He looked down at me as I continued to cry with fear and humiliation, and quickly lifted himself off of me, letting go of my wrists as if they burned him. I quickly pulled the sheets over my half-naked body and sat up staring at him warily as he stood by the bed with his back turned to me. After a few seconds he turned halfway around and glanced at me, and I couldn't help but be surprised at what I saw. Regret.

Without saying a word, he walked out of the room and slowly closed the door behind him.

I sat there in disbelief at what just happened. He actually stopped when I told him I was a virgin. He could easily have raped me, but he chose not to. Did that mean he wasn't a complete monster? Why would he care if I was a virgin anyways? I didn't actually expect him to stop when I told him that.

Regardless of the reason, I was beyond relieved.

I lied there in bed for hours replaying the traumatic event in my mind, until Nebula briskly walked in and placed a tray on my nightstand along with a new change of clothes. I sat up and examined the new clothes, surprised to find several pairs of panties in the pile. They were made of a soft, satin-like material and they actually looked comfortable. I felt my face flush as I looked up and realized Nebula was watching me with an amused look on her face.

"I don't know why Ronan is keeping you alive, but you do keep things interesting around here," she said sarcastically as she walked around the room.

"I just want to go home," I said sadly as I tucked the bed sheets under my armpits.

"You should be grateful. Ronan was in here every day checking on you after that meteoroid. He's obviously intrigued by you," she said sounding annoyed. "I've never seen him take interest in anyone before," she said bitterly as she looked at me from across the room.

"Well, he almost raped me today, so I don't want his interest," I said angrily as I rubbed my sore wrists.

Nebula looked at me, her eyes momentarily widening in surprise at what I told her, and finally settled into a look of understanding.

"He's not used to someone challenging him - no one else is stupid enough," she said sarcastically as she walked back over to the bed. "You really must get under his skin," she said stopping in front of me, looking at me curiously.

"Now eat, and take the pill. It will help," she said as she walked out.

I stared at the door as she closed it, reflecting on what she just said. So what if he wasn't used to people standing up to him? That didn't give him the right to hurt them. That just seems like a horrible excuse to inflict pain on others. Still, he didn't actually go through with raping me, and the thought of that left me feeling confused and curious.

I looked over at the food on the tray and saw a delicious looking soup that made my stomach growl in response. There was also the familiar sour-dough bread and a fruit that looked like a giant blueberry. I quickly scarfed down the food, not realizing how hungry I was, and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

I glanced at the pill on the tray, wondering if I should take it or not, because I wasn't sure if I was ready to ignore what happened earlier. The pill would make me feel like everything was OK, when in fact, everything was complete shit. I lied back down on the bed and closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep fairly quickly.

After hours of tossing and turning in bed, my mind filled with images of Ronan ripping my clothes off, I gave in and decided to take the pill. Within ten minutes I was gratefully lost in la-la land, completely oblivious to the troubles around me. I stumbled out of bed and pulled out the clothes Nebula had brought me earlier, laughing at how futuristic they appeared. There was a black, one-piece suit that was made out of some leather-type material and it zipped up the back. There were also two more shirts and two pairs of pants made out of the same material, and everything was black. Talk about drab.

I pulled out one of the satin panties and tried it on, only to find that it covered half my ass, but I think it was meant to be like that. I walked around the room in only my bra and panties, tracing my fingers along the elaborate wall carvings. It looked like the carvings were moving, and I quickly became entranced by the sight. I only looked away when I noticed the door to my left slowly open up.

I turned towards the door and was unsurprised to see Ronan step through. As he came in, he stopped when he saw me standing there in only my bra and panties, and looked questioningly at me. My gaze slowly drifted downwards to examine my body and I realized I had completely forgotten that I was undressed. I lazily walked over to the bed, willing myself to move faster, but my legs seemed unable to move at a quicker pace. Damn, fucking pill.

When I finally reached the bed, I sat down and pulled the sheets over me, not even fully covering myself. I stared groggily at Ronan as he walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed next to me.

"You shouldn't be here," I slurred, leaning back against the headboard.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier," he said looking over at me, his eyes narrowing as he took in my inebriated state. "But clearly now is not the time for this discussion," he said, sounding irritated and looking towards the door.

"Why didn't you… do it?" I said slowly, forcing the words out of my mouth. He glanced sideways at me with his mouth drawn tight as if he was angered by my question.

"Despite what you think, I am not evil. It was never my intention to go through with it," he said as he looked away.

'You scared me," I whispered, examining his profile. He looked awfully sullen at the moment.

"That was the point," he answered seriously, staring back at me. I couldn't help but notice how pretty his eyes looked right then. When he wasn't angry, they appeared to be a much brighter purple, like shining amethysts.

"You're kind of beautiful," I mumbled, my eyes starting to drift closed.

He stood up and leaned over me, pulling the comforter over my body.

"Sleep well, Silvia," he said, his deep voice flowing through my body.

I felt a hand slowly stroke my cheek as I drifted away into peaceful slumber.

It was a shame I would not remember this tomorrow morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter song: Swelling by Sarah Jaffe_**

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><p>When I woke up the next morning, I was met with Nebula standing over me staring at me like I was some strange creature who both intrigued and disgusted her. I stared back at her with a similar look on my face, blinking lazily as I became accustomed to the light. I sat up yawning and scratched my head, which made Nebula's face scrunch up even more in distaste.<p>

"Is there a reason why you're here?" I asked, becoming increasingly annoyed by the looks she was giving me.

"Ronan requires your presence," she said through pursed lips as she watched me rub my eyes.

"Well you can tell him I don't want to see him," I said bitterly as I crossed my arms. It was way too early in the morning to deal with Ronan right now. Plus, I was still pissed off by what he did to me yesterday.

"I am not a messenger, Terran. You have five minutes," she said loudly as she stood over me. She honestly looked like she was going to hurt me if I didn't comply.

I angrily threw back the sheets, glaring at Nebula while doing so, and grabbed the one-piece suit. I also noticed a new pair of black boots that appeared to be my size. I grabbed those too and continued storming into the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and getting dressed, I was ready in exactly five minutes as instructed. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw her standing by the large door waiting for me, looking annoyed as always. She opened the door and walked into the hallway without saying a word.

I had to jog to keep up with her as she walked unreasonably fast through the complex hallways. Finally we stopped when we reached a large, heavy-looking door. As I stood there slightly out of breath from jogging, Nebula typed something into the control pad which caused the door to slide open, and proceeded to push me inside. I turned around to say something cheeky to her, but the door was already closing.

I turned around to see a large dining table in front of me, brimming with plates of delicious-looking food. My stomach growled hungrily as I eyed a tray of luscious fruit and pastries. I subconsciously licked my lips as I walked towards the table, not even bothering to look around the room.

I eagerly picked up a plump fruit that looked like a plum and felt my mouth water in response. As I bit into the fruit, I felt its juice run down my chin and I groaned in pleasure at the delectable flavor. When I was done I quickly picked up an oval pastry that was drizzled with something sweet. Just as my teeth bit into the pastry, I happily discovered it was filled with a cream that tasted like chocolate.

"Oh my god," I whispered as I closed my eyes, savoring the heavenly familiar taste. I started slowly licking the sweet, sticky glaze off my fingers.

"Do you always eat like this?" Ronan asked loudly, sounding slightly annoyed. I immediately started choking on the pastry at the sound of his voice, completely caught off guard.

I looked up to find Ronan sitting at the head of the table, leaning back in his chair with his hands tightly gripping the arms. His eyes burned with something I did not recognize, and his mouth was slightly turned down as he watched me. He looked frustrated, but I had no idea what I had done to make him that way.

"I - I didn't know you were already here," I said as I cleared my throat and sat down on the opposite side of the table. I stared at the food now suddenly feeling disappointed.

"You may continue," he said authoritatively from across the table.

"I'm full," I said frowning at him. Truthfully, I was nowhere near full and the food in front of me was begging me to devour it. I stared longingly at the tray of pastries sitting before me and I swallowed as my mouth began salivating. The action did not go unnoticed by Ronan.

"Eat the food," he said, starting to become irritated. He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes becoming heavy with impatience.

Reluctantly, I started picking food from the other trays and placing them on the empty plate in front of me. Soon my plate was full of pastries, fruits, and a few other foods I wasn't quite familiar with but they looked tasty. Before I could even enjoy the food, I began thinking about yesterday, and my appetite quickly diminished. I sat there staring at my plate scowling and picking at the food. I could feel Ronan's eyes on me the entire time.

"Your childish sulking is testing my patience," he said angrily after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I was just thinking about yesterday - you know when you almost raped me. How rude of me," I said harshly, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I stared at him defiantly as his eyes widened at my outburst. I could see his nostrils flaring with anger as he sat there staring at me.

"I never should have resorted to such _primitive_ methods," he said bitterly as he looked down at the table. "And for that I apologize," he said resentfully, his gaze drifting back to my face. Obviously he wasn't used to apologizing, because he honestly sucked at it.

I couldn't help but stare at him as I became lost for words. His apology was awful but it was also completely unexpected, and I wondered why he even bothered. He's supposed to be a monster. Monsters don't apologize when they hurt people – they devour them without a second thought. Clearly there was an ulterior motive behind his words, and I was not going to let my guard down.

"You are sorry," I scoffed disbelievingly as I continued to stare at him with doubt. My head slightly tilted to the side in disbelief and curiosity as I looked at the man before me. I was becoming utterly confused by his contradictory actions.

"I will not repeat myself, Terran. This topic is closed for discussion," he said as his brow deepened and his mouth turned down in a scowl.

"But you," I started to say.

"I said ENOUGH," he roared from across the table, slamming his fist down.

His unexpected explosion of fury startled me so badly I dropped my fork onto the floor and jumped back in my seat, staring at him with wide, surprised eyes. I continued to sit there staring at him with my mouth drawn tight, not sure what he was going to do next. Only when he removed his fist from the table was I able to relax, and only then did I notice I had been holding my breath. I took a deep breath and slowly I began eating again, carefully avoiding his gaze as I did so. After ten minutes of tense, awkward silence, I timidly looked up at Ronan and dared to ask him a question.

"Ronan," I said questioningly as my fingers nervously picked at the pastry on my plate.

"Go on," he said slowly, his mouth turning down into a frown.

"Why did you hate the Xandarians so much?" I said looking back down at my plate. I didn't want him to think I was trying to start another fight, but I felt like I deserved to know why he destroyed an entire planet.

"The Xandarians and my people, the Kree, were at war for one-thousand years," he said as he leaned back in his chair. The serious tone of his voice caused me to look up at him as I became genuinely intrigued, and I patiently waited for him to continue.

"They murdered my father. They slaughtered my people. They assumed themselves and their paltry gods superior, and tried to hide their murderous acts behind a wretched peace treaty," he said, his face contorted as if the thought repulsed him.

"However, my government and my people do not forgive so easily. Their culture was an abomination to the galaxy, but at last we are cured of the Xandarian plague," he said triumphantly as his eyes glowed with pride.

"Oh," I said after he was finished. After hearing his explanation I really didn't know what else to say. His motives for destroying Xandar were valid and I could understand his desire for vengeance. It still wasn't right what he did, but I could now see why he did it. I continued sitting there at the table, quietly picking at my pastry while Ronan watched me.

"So… are you going to let me go now?" I asked hopefully, although I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

"No, you are my prisoner," he said nonchalantly as his eyes closely regarded my face.

"Why?" I asked exasperated. "I haven't done anything," I said, my voice becoming shaky with anger.

"You are guilty of stealing and destroying Kree military property," he said seriously. His baritone voice filled the room as he spoke, causing me to slightly tremble with fear.

"You're just finding a reason to keep me here," I said bitterly as I stood up and leaned forward on the table with my hands. From this position I was finally able to look down at Ronan and it felt invigorating to be the one looking down instead of always looking up. Ronan's eyes turned dark as he sensed my newly founded confidence.

"As the Kree Empire's Supreme Accuser, I cannot let your actions go unpunished," he said as he raised himself up, silently reminding me that he could easily squash me. "You will serve your time as my attendant. Your training begins today. Outside, you will find Nebula waiting for you," he said looking down at me from across the table.

"No," I said shaking my head. "This is bullshit! I'm not going," I said angrily as I stomped towards the door. Within seconds I felt a hand roughly turn me around and push me against the wall. Ronan's right hand tightly held my jaw and tilted my head backwards so I was looking up at him.

"If you do not go, you will regret it. That is a promise," he said slowly while he tightened his grip.

"What, are you going to rip my clothes off again?" I shouted as tears rolled down my cheeks. I really resented myself for always crying when I'm angry.

"You are naïve if you believe that is the worst thing I can do to you," he said sneeringly. I felt one of his fingers on the left side of my face slowly move upwards. As I stood there looking up at him, I noticed he was closely watching a tear roll down my face, and his finger gently wiped it away. The tender action brought back the memory of his hand brushing against my cheek last night before I fell asleep.

"Hey!" I said abruptly, causing him to look down at me curiously. "You were in my room last night. I felt your hand on my cheek. Quit coming in my room when I'm fucked up," I said indignantly as I pushed his hand away. He straightened himself up and looked down at me with his chin held high.

"Your imagination fills your head with absurd fantasies," he said smugly. "Now go. Nebula is ready to begin your training," he said more forcefully. His fists tightened at his sides as I remained standing there staring at him defiantly with my hands on my hips. As he took a step forward, I caved and held up my hands in surrender.

"Fine, I'll go," I said, not even bothering to hide my irritation. I casually stepped around his body without even glancing at him and continued towards the door. My body grew hot as I felt his eyes burning into my back as I walked away.

When the doors closed behind me, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands and silently cursed myself for the mess I had created. If I had never stolen that ship I would be free and on my way home right now. No, I actually didn't believe that at all. Ronan still would have found a reason to keep me here, but I wasn't entirely sure why he wanted me around anyways. I've been nothing but a problem for him since I arrived, so why hasn't he killed me? Why is he wiping my tears and stroking my face? I know I didn't imagine that. He was acting like he cared for me, but that couldn't possibly be true.

Just then Nebula appeared from around the corner, swinging her hips and smirking as she swaggered towards me. She didn't stop as she walked by me, so I took that as my cue to follow her. I shuffled along behind her as she led me through the dark hallway, only stopping when she stopped. We stood in front of a glass door that looked into a room which was lined with padding on the floors and walls. It reminded me of my childhood days when I used to take gymnastics lessons. She led me inside and stopped in the middle of the room.

"Shouldn't I be learning how to like answer the phone or clean laundry? He said I was going to be his attendant," I said unsurely as I looked around the room. Nebula stared at me as if I was speaking a foreign language.

"Ronan doesn't need a maid – he needs soldiers," she said while slowly circling around me. "You will first be trained in hand-to-hand combat and then we will move on to weapons," she said sounding bored.

"I'm not much of a fighter," I said quietly, not liking the way she was circling me.

"We'll see," she said sarcastically. As she finished speaking I saw her move, and then suddenly I was flat on my back looking up at the ceiling.

"What the fuck," I gasped as I slowly stood up rubbing my back.

"You must toughen up if you want to survive. You're not on Terra anymore," she said smugly as she began circling me again. I remained still as I tried to anticipate her next move.

I heard her before I actually saw her move. I quickly ducked down to the floor as I felt her leg fly above my head, and made the mistake of standing up too quickly as her other leg kicked me right in the stomach. I doubled over, grabbing my stomach as I felt a wave of nausea, and glared at Nebula who was giving me a taunting smile. I straightened back up and felt myself breathing heavier from the rage that was building inside me. Again, she began slowly circling me. However, before she could attack me first I decided to make the first move.

I dove for her waist and brought her down to the ground with me. We began rolling around fighting for dominance, until finally Nebula ended up on top with her knees pinning my arms to the ground.

"You would be dead right now if this were a real fight. What are you going to do? THINK, Terran," she said angrily as she slapped me across the face.

I lifted my legs up in the air and wrapped them around her neck, pulling her backwards off of me. With my arms free I was able to stand up and get into a defensive position. Nebula walked towards me smiling as she examined my body language.

"Turn your body more to the side. The less surface area you have exposed, the less likely you will get hit," she said jeeringly.

I promptly turned my body slightly and placed my feet shoulder-width apart, with my left foot in front and my right foot turned sideways. Nebula positioned my fists so that my left hand was in front of my chin and my right hand was pulled back in front of my right shoulder. She then began showing me how to throw punches, jabs, and kicks using my entire body. After almost two hours of practicing on the wall pads I was sweating and breathing heavily.

"You've learned the motions. Now try to hit me," she said seriously, but her eyes twinkled with amusement. She walked to the center of the room and stood there with her arms at her sides, waiting for me to come at her.

As I approached her she remained standing there with her arms at her sides, not even attempting to get into a defensive position. It was actually kind of insulting how unthreatened she was by my presence. I quickly threw my right fist towards her face, but only met air. She was standing at my side smiling.

"You flinch too much before you move. You need to be unpredictable," she said constructively as I turned to face her.

I tried twenty more times to hit her, but every time I never actually made contact with her. Apparently I was giving myself away before I even made a move. Thirty minutes later I was feeling extremely frustrated and panting with exhaustion. Nebula was also becoming irritated because I still hadn't achieved a single blow.

"You're getting slow," she said as she continued circling me like a shark. I stood there and wiped the sweat off my brow while I watched her circle around me. I put my hands on my knees and leaned over as I became suddenly dizzy.

"Pathetic," she spat, stopping in front of me.

I lunged forward and swung my left fist forward to jab her in the face, which she immediately blocked. I followed up with an uppercut with my right fist, which she also managed to block. It wasn't fair how fast she was.

"You are-," she started to say, but I miraculously cut her short.

Just as she began circling me again, I unexpectedly landed a sidekick to her face, which caused her to stumble backwards a little bit. I started laughing proudly as I watched her look at me in shock. I fell down to the floor feeling completely drained and closed my eyes as I tried to catch my breath.

"It's about time," she said sarcastically as she stood over me. "That's enough for today," she said roughly pulling me up by my arm. I winced at her tight grip but didn't argue because I was too exhausted to care. She continued holding onto my arm until we reached my room five minutes later.

When I entered my room my nose was filled with the mouthwatering scent of steak. I walked over to the tray on my nightstand and lifted the lid to find a thick, juicy piece of dark meat. There was also a green vegetable that looked like okra and some kind of succotash that consisted of unfamiliar vegetables and fruits. I swiftly sat down on my bed and began eating the hearty meal. The meat obviously wasn't beef, but it was surprisingly tender and tasted amazing. The green vegetable tasted sweet and very similar to corn. The succotash was unexpectedly tangy and reminded me of mango salad.

I stood up smiling, fully satisfied from the meal I had just eaten, and contentedly rubbed my stomach. I started walking to the bathroom and began stripping my clothes off as I went, leaving a trail of garments behind me. I stepped into the tile shower and turned on the waterfall showerhead, closing my eyes as a wall of water came flowing down on my face.

Being Ronan's prisoner honestly wasn't the worst thing that could happen to me; I ate delicious food, I had a soft bed, and my bathroom was basically a mini-spa. I missed my family and friends though, and I wondered if I would ever see them again. I also missed things I never thought I would miss such as internet, television, and music. I smiled as I remembered the fact that I could create music anytime I wanted to. I closed my eyes and began singing one of my favorite songs, enjoying the way my voice echoed in the bathroom.

_You only know what I want you to  
>I know everything you don't want me to<br>Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine  
>You think your dreams are the same as mine<br>Oh I don't love you but I always will  
>Oh I don't love you but I always will<br>Oh I don't love you but I always will  
>I always will<br>I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back  
>The less I give the more I get back<br>Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise  
>I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you<em>

I opened my eyes when I was done and smiled sadly to myself. I couldn't hold back the tears any longer as memories of home filled my mind. I quietly cried in the shower while I finished washing off the sweat and grime from earlier today. Never in my life had I ever been so exhausted before. It wasn't just the fact that I was physically tired, but my mind and soul felt drained as well. I felt like I was nearing a breaking point and soon I would fall off the edge. It took every ounce of power inside of me to hold myself together. I tiredly stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself in one of the silky towels, and began brushing my teeth at the sink.

I walked out of the bathroom with my eyes half-closed, looking down at the floor. I was so overwhelmingly tired I couldn't wait to just collapse on the fluffy mattress. When I was five feet from my bed I saw a large, black boot which made my heart immediately start pounding. My gaze drifted upwards to find Ronan sitting on the edge of my bed, silently watching me as he stared at me inquisitively. My hands instinctively tightened their grip around my towel, but I continued staggering towards him.

I stopped when I stood right in front of him, placing myself in between his parted knees, and stared at him for the first time at eye level. I was so tired of feeling afraid and at the moment I was on the brink of a mental breakdown, so I really just wanted to be left alone. I could feel the lump in my throat growing as I suppressed the sobs that begged to escape me.

"Whatever you're going to do, just do it," I said quietly with half-closed eyes. I felt my eyes betray me as they filled with tears. Would I ever stop crying?

"I haven't come to hurt you if that is what you're implying," he said irritably as his brow furrowed.

"Then why are you here?" I asked, closing my eyes as my voice slightly cracked. As I felt my bottom lip begin to tremble, I started to turn away, but Ronan prevented me by grabbing my upper arms.

"What is wrong?" he asked seriously as he held me there. At this point I couldn't speak so I remained standing there softly shaking my head.

"Silvia," he warned, gently shaking me. "Tell me," he said assertively. When I opened my eyes I saw him staring at me, but he didn't look angry like I thought he would. He looked concerned, and that is what caused me to lose all control.

"I'm so _tired_," I said in a high, strained voice. I began crying and hid my face in my hands. "My life isn't supposed to be like this. I was about to graduate from university with honors. I was supposed to get married and have kids," I said emotionally. "I miss my family and friends. I'm so alone here," I cried as my body became racked with sobs.

I didn't care if I appeared weak in front of him because he'd already seen me at my worst. There was nothing else he could do or say to me to make me feel any worse than I did at this moment. I continued standing there in front of him crying until I eventually calmed down enough to uncover my face. I looked down at the floor rubbing my eyes and nose, feeling embarrassed now over my emotional scene. I slowly looked up at him and found him staring intensely at me, like he wanted to say something but couldn't. His mouth was slightly parted and his eyes were filled with something I couldn't place. Perhaps pity or shame, but I didn't quite know.

He stood up and turned around, pulling the sheets and comforter down on the bed. He then turned around to face me again and guided me into the bed without saying a word. I eagerly climbed into the bed looking forward to the escape sleep would offer me. As I pulled the comforter over my body, I reached underneath the sheets and pulled my towel off of me. I didn't care if he knew I was naked. I preferred sleeping this way and I didn't give a damn what he thought. I saw him smirk as he sat back down on the edge of the bed next to me, and I suddenly remembered he never answered my question.

"Ronan, why are you here?" I asked quietly as I looked up at him. He stared at me for a few seconds until his hand reached towards my face and I felt him pull a strand of hair away from my eyes.

"Ronan…" I whispered, my heart fluttering. Why was he acting like this? I thought he hated me – he always acted like he did. This was the same man who broke my finger, knocked me unconscious, and made me his prisoner.

"I heard you in the shower," he said, suddenly looking away. I felt my face turn red with embarrassment. I've never let anyone listen to me sing before, at least not when I am actually trying.

"Did you compose it yourself?" he asked somberly as he stared straight ahead.

I sat there waiting for him to look at me again, but his eyes remained locked on the wall in front of him as if he were lost in thought. He looked like he was thinking about something that troubled him, and I suddenly had the urge to hold his hand. Wait, why would I want to do that? Of course, I was not going to do that because I knew it would be crazy. I shouldn't even be thinking about him like that anyways – he was my captor and I was his prisoner. My feelings of loneliness and isolation were clearly clouding my judgment…right? I mean, there was no way I could have any sort of feelings for the man – not after everything he has put me through…right?

I stared at him with wide eyes, mortified by the thoughts I was having.

As he turned to look at me, his facial expression transformed from calm to alarmingly confused, with his eyebrows drawn together as he studied my face. I realized I must have looked absolutely crazy staring at him with my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open. I quickly closed my eyes and relaxed my face as I pulled myself together.

"No, I didn't compose it," I said, quickly remembering that he asked me a question. He continued to stare at me skeptically while I fiddled with the bed sheets. I dramatically yawned, hoping he would take the hint and leave me alone before I did anything I would regret. My heart fluttered in my chest as he stood up and frowned down at me, looking like he was trying to figure out what just happened.

"Goodnight," I said, overly cheerful. At that moment I really wanted to slap myself across the face for being such an idiot. His eyes narrowed at me questioningly before he silently turned and strode out of the room.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

What are you doing, Silvia?

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><p><strong>As promised, I have updated only 6 days later! The reviews definitely motivated me, so keep them coming! :)<strong>

**Only 11 days into the story and I already have 6 chapters. I think I'm a little obsessed.**

**Things between Ronan and Silvia are becoming complicated. What's going to happen? ;)**

**BTW - the song Silvia was singing is called "Poison and Wine" by The Civil Wars - check it out!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter song: Serpents by Sharon Van Etten**_

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><p>There had to be something terribly wrong with me, and I began seriously worrying about my state of mind. The harder I tried not to think about Ronan, the more I did. I imagined holding his hand, and one thought led to another. Soon, I was wondering what he looked like underneath his armor and how his pouty, sculpted lips would feel against mine. It was like I was trapped in a speeding car and no matter how hard I pushed on the break, it remained on its collision course, bound to burn.<p>

I blamed it on my hormones. Why else would I unexpectedly start to think of Ronan this way? Sure, he's the epitome of masculinity, probably stronger than Superman, and his voice… OK, snap out of it.

This man has repeatedly tortured me, almost raped me, and is keeping me here against my will. I should feel nothing but hatred for him, but I didn't and that's what scared me the most. Despite all of the terrible things he has done, he has also shown me unexpected generosity by treating my wounds, feeding me gourmet meals, and housing me in a luxury suite. Plus, he didn't rape me when I told him I was a virgin and he genuinely seemed concerned about me tonight. These were not the acts of an evil man and it made me curious to know what motivated his behavior. Could it be possible that he cares for me? The thought made my heart race and my stomach flutter with excitement, but I didn't know why.

I didn't sleep very well that night.

I was already awake and dressed when Nebula walked into my room the next morning. I sat on the edge of the bed, vacantly staring at the floor as thoughts consumed my mind. I was suddenly pulled out of my daydream when I felt Nebula's rough hand push my shoulder back, causing me to almost fall off of the bed.

"I said LET'S GO," she shouted, her voice sounding strangely mechanical. She abruptly turned around and began marching out of the room without waiting for me. I slowly stood up and began following her, feeling slightly delirious as I did so. My lack of sleep was already making me feel like a zombie.

"What about breakfast?" I said tiredly as I jogged behind her. She didn't answer me of course, which only irritated me even further. If I didn't eat breakfast how the hell was I supposed to survive training today?

We entered the training room and immediately Nebula ordered me to practice my moves on the wall pads. I sluggishly walked over to the wall and began throwing punches and kicks, but I lacked the vigor I had yesterday so my hits were weak. Nebula seemed to notice this right away and angrily walked over to me.

"What the hell is this? You aren't even trying," she said sharply as she glared at me.

"Well, maybe if I had some food…" I said grumbling, stopping to face her.

She didn't say a word as she pushed me backwards against the wall with her forearm against my neck, forcing me to stand on my tiptoes. I stood there trying to pull her arm away from my neck, but she was too strong.

"Ronan might tolerate this type of behavior, but I will not. I am not afraid to hurt you Terran, so don't give me a reason to," she said coldly as she let me go.

I took a deep breath and stumbled forward as the balls of my feet made contact with the floor. As she walked away from me I massaged my neck, which was surely going to be bruised in a few hours. I angrily glared at Nebula but didn't say anything; instead, I took out my frustration on the wall pad in front of me and began furiously striking it, causing Nebula to chuckle behind me. For the next two hours she had me repeatedly hit the wall pad until my strikes were near-perfect. My knuckles, elbows, and feet were severely aching and burning after only a few minutes, but I was too scared of Nebula to stop.

The rest of the day proceeded much like it had yesterday, only today Nebula began teaching me submission and grappling techniques. Once again I was left feeling slow and stupid as Nebula maneuvered herself out of every hold I had on her. After three hours of wrestling I was able to pin her down ten times, but even then it only lasted for a few seconds. As she twisted herself out of my last choke hold, I rolled over onto my back panting with exhaustion. Nebula stood over me pursing her lips in disappointment.

"It's time for a break," she said grudgingly as she lifted me up. She led me through the hall until we reached a familiar door. "I'll be back in an hour. Do not be late," she said as she pushed me inside and closed the door behind me.

It was the same room I ate breakfast in with Ronan yesterday. However, instead of breakfast foods, the table was filled with an assortment of meats, cheeses, and breads. I also spotted a few trays of fruit which I immediately began walking over to. I glanced at the head of the table, remembering how last time Ronan surprised me, but his chair was empty today. I found myself strangely disappointed by his absence. I walked around the table and began eating directly from the large platters of food, happily humming as I did so. My lips were wrapped around a plump peach-like fruit when I heard slow, heavy footsteps behind me. I remained facing forward as I finished biting into the syrupy fruit, which produced an embarrassing slurping sound as the juice filled my mouth.

"This is considered a fine delicacy on my planet," he said slowly over my head. I could feel my heart hammering away inside my chest.

In the corner of my eye I saw his hand reach past my side, slightly brushing my arm as he grabbed an identical fruit from the tray. I flinched from the unexpected contact which caused my back to bump into his midriff, and I felt my body grow hot with embarrassment. I quietly cleared my throat as I stepped away from him and began walking around to the opposite side of the table, carefully avoiding eye contact as I did so. I stood on the opposite side of the table and casually poured myself a drink, filling my goblet to the brim with a deep, purple liquid. My hands were shaking with nervousness as I placed the pitcher back down onto the table, completely aware of Ronan's unwavering and intimidating watchfulness.

I brought the goblet up to my lips and slowly began sipping on the rich liquid, surprised to find that it tasted like wine. I closed my eyes and savored the familiar warm feeling in my throat as I swallowed the tangy liquid. As I stood there eagerly drinking the rich, hot wine, I saw Ronan walking around the table in the corner of my eye. I didn't care though. I just wanted to get drunk and forget that I imagined kissing him.

"That is enough," he said authoritatively. By then my goblet was almost empty, and my face felt considerably hotter. I heard him approaching me from the side, and I quickly began walking away from him finishing the remainder of my drink.

I winced at the burning sensation in my chest and set my empty goblet down on the table with more force than I meant to. I closed my eyes at the sound of Ronan angrily approaching me from behind. So far I had been successful at avoiding eye contact with him and I was grateful because I didn't trust myself at the moment. Thinking about touching him made me nervous and excited, but I knew it was wrong. It _had_ to be wrong.

Suddenly, I felt his large hand grip my shoulder as he quickly spun me around to face him, and my hands naturally began pushing him away as I stepped backwards. I felt my back press against the table as Ronan continued to advance towards me. I didn't have anywhere to go except under the table, so I quickly dropped to my knees to crawl away. Before my palms even touched the floor, I felt his hand wrap itself in my hair and pull me upwards, causing me to yelp in pain. His hand reached behind me and a second later I heard the sound of trays crashing onto the floor. He roughly lifted me onto the table and placed himself in between my legs which dangled off the edge of the table. I sat there in front of him, too afraid to open my eyes.

"Get away from me," I said angrily with my eyes tightly shut.

"I've had enough of your impudence," he said harshly from above me. "Look at me," he said after a few seconds of silence. His voice was dangerously quiet.

I shook my head with my eyes still closed and prayed that he would just leave me alone. I heard him growl as he grabbed me by my hair once again and roughly pulled my head backwards. Before I could stop myself, my eyes slowly opened up and right away I was met with Ronan's piercing, purple eyes. It was a mistake opening my eyes because I was instantly reminded why I was attracted to him. His eyes truly were beautiful, filled with brilliant luminosity, and I felt I could get lost in them. He was both beautiful and overwhelmingly masculine, and the confidence in which he carried himself was undeniably attractive.

I could tell the wine was beginning to affect me because my head felt heavier, my vision became a little fuzzy, and I felt my body grow hotter. I wasn't sure though if that was because of the wine or because Ronan was standing in between my legs. I suddenly felt a desperate need to get away from him as I began feeling unfamiliar and dangerous urges. Never before had I ever yearned for a man as I did now, and my arousal was growing by the second. I had to get away from him, _now_. My hands reached up to his hand which was still wrapped in my hair and I began frantically trying to get him to let go.

"Get your hands off of me," I said irritably as I looked up at him, trying to pry his fingers open so he would relinquish his grip.

He frowned at me with disapproval as I continued to pull at his hand. In a desperate attempt to get away I reached out and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. He barely even blinked as I hit him, clearly not at all hurt or affected by my touch. I may as well have hit him with a feather, but he became incensed nonetheless.

His left hand seized me by the neck while his other hand remained in my hair, and he roughly pushed me backwards so I was lying flat on my back. As he leaned over me with all of his weight in between my legs, I felt an overwhelming sense of pleasure in my core, and I couldn't hold back my arousal any longer. As he pressed forward my back naturally arched and I softly moaned at the wonderful sensation.

I instantly looked up at Ronan, completely mortified by what just happened, and saw him looking down at me with surprised eyes, undoubtedly perplexed. I was hoping the sound would go unnoticed, but I was sadly disappointed.

"I-I…th..." I stuttered nervously as I couldn't seem to form any words in my mind. I could feel my cheeks flushing with shame.

Ronan removed his hand from my neck and placed it next to my head, while his other hand remained wrapped in my hair. He supported himself on his hand as he slightly lifted himself up, still leaning over me. Slowly, his head tilted downwards so he was observing his position in between my legs, and his eyes drifted back to my face. He looked at me knowingly with heavy eyes as the corners of his mouth turned up in amusement.

Before I could say anything, he leaned into my core more forcefully this time, grinding his hips as he did so, and I heard myself cry out in pleasure as he moved against my sensitive flesh. When he stopped I opened my eyes, now panting with arousal, and saw him smirking at me. I realized my legs were wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to me. I immediately let my legs drop down to the edge of the table, embarrassed by my unchaste behavior.

"Stop," I said quietly. I knew this wasn't right, but I honestly didn't want him to stop. Sensing my inner struggle, he released his grip on my hair and lowered himself so his mouth was right next to my ear.

"Swear your loyalty to me, and I will give you what you need," he said darkly into my ear. He made me shiver with just the sound of his voice. I suddenly felt nervous as his other hand started to slowly move down my body.

As his fingers reached my waist, he looked at me intensely and reached in between my legs, cupping my soft mound with his large hand over my pants. I gasped at the unfamiliar feeling of being touched down there by another person and instinctively reached down to pull his hand away. He grabbed my wrists with his other hand and pinned them above my head as he stared at me confidently. I was breathing heavily now with excitement and fear, unsure of what to do.

His fingers began slowly moving up and down my folds, causing me to squirm and whimper in his grasp. I looked up at him nervously biting my lip as he stared back, his eyes burning bright with determination. As his fingers found my aching bud, I closed my eyes and moaned loudly with pleasure as he began expertly rubbing me from the outside of my pants. My hips pushed into his hand as my body yearned for release.

"Swear to me," he said more demandingly as I whimpered underneath him.

"I...I...," I muttered, stopping when I felt his hand begin to slide underneath the top of my pants.

"No," I said, suddenly becoming frightened. His hand continued to move downwards and I began kicking my legs at him.

"Ronan, stop," I said loudly. His hand stopped immediately and he looked up at me clearly irritated.

"I don't want to do this. Get off," I said shakily, my body still slightly trembling with arousal.

Ronan remained leaning over me, silently staring down at me with his fiery eyes, and I noticed his jaw was tightly clenched. My heart hammered away in my chest as he continued to stare at me like he was waiting for me to change my mind. I softly shook my head and looked away, now feeling ashamed for what I had allowed to transpire. He angrily growled as he withdrew his hand from my pants and stepped backwards away from me. I slowly sat up and saw him standing turned sideways, looking away from me. He turned his head in my direction and I felt myself involuntarily tremble from the scornful look he was giving me. He silently turned away from me and began walking out of the room, leaving me sitting there on the table feeling confused and hurt.

I hopped down from the table as I continued to watch him exit through the door. When he was no longer visible, I felt more alone and vulnerable than I ever had before. This man, who was the first to ever touch me so intimately, just left me standing here alone, without saying a word. How could I have been so stupid to let that happen? I never felt so naïve before in my life.

Five minutes later Nebula walked into the room, stopping when she saw all the trays scattered across the floor. She scowled at me as she placed her hands on her hips, and cocked her head to the side in annoyance.

"Your species are barbaric," she said with contempt as she walked towards me.

"I didn't-," I started to say, but Nebula roughly grabbed my arm and began pulling me away.

"I don't want to hear it, Terran. Break time is over," she said as she led me through the hallways.

She put me to work as soon as we entered the room, and within minutes my body was once again covered in sweat. For the next three hours we grappled, wrestled, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. After our lengthy melee, every inch of my body felt sore and bruised and I couldn't wait to take a hot bath and soak my tender body.

"You did better today," Nebula said unemotionally as she led me to my room. "Your pathetic human body is getting stronger," she said without glancing back.

"Um, thanks. I guess," I said quietly behind her as we approached my room. She entered a code into the control pad and I quickly walked into my room, feeling exhausted and emotionally drained.

When I heard the door close behind me, I began stripping my sweat-soaked clothes off and threw them into the corner of my room. I walked into the bathroom and headed straight for the large, metal tub. As it began filling with hot, steaming water, I eagerly pressed down on several pumps until it was full of bubbles that smelled like jasmine and honeysuckle. While I waited for the bath to fill, I walked over to the large cabinet by the sink and began exploring its contents. I languidly inspected the drawers, only finding linens and toilet paper, but my interest immediately perked as I opened the last drawer. Inside was an assortment of glass vials filled with pills and ointments, each individually labeled in a language I could not interpret.

After several minutes of probing around I was ready to close the drawer, until one vial caught my eye. My hand eagerly picked up the vial as I recognized the white pills inside, and I felt beyond relieved as I imagined the tranquility they could offer me. My body was hurting all over and I couldn't stop thinking about my confusing moment with Ronan earlier.

What I needed most right now was to not feel anything at all. I popped one of the pills into my mouth and walked over to the sink, cupping my hands underneath the water faucet until they were full. I drank from my hands and swallowed the small piece of heaven, ready to forget about all of my troubles. By now the tub was nearly filled to the brim and I quickly walked over to turn the water off.

I stepped into the tub and sighed at the wonderful feeling of warmth encompassing my entire body. I closed my eyes and inhaled the intoxicating aroma, and let my head float on top of the water as I felt my body relax. As my ears became submerged, all I could hear was the sound of air entering and leaving my lungs. I became so focused on my breathing that I unknowingly began drifting off to sleep.

My hand grasped the cold, brass doorknob of my home and I excitedly pushed the door open and began looking for my parents. My face dropped as I realized something about this place did not feel right. My house always felt cheerful and inviting, but now there was an overbearing sadness that filled my chest with dread. I continued up the stairs, stopping halfway when I heard soft, feminine weeping coming from my bedroom. My feet moved of their own accord as my heart began beating frantically in my chest. As I approached the door, it slowly opened on its own and made a loud, creaking noise.

I entered the room, but there was no one in there. I turned around to leave, but stopped and screamed with shock as I saw a man front of me. My hand flew to my chest and I closed my eyes in relief as I realized it was my dad. I smiled and started walking towards him with my arms open, but he held his hands up to stop me.

"You need to go back," he said urgently, grabbing me by my shoulders. I looked at him feeling confused and offended by his greeting.

"But I just got here," I said, baffled by his behavior. All of a sudden I felt a sharp, crushing pain in my chest and I doubled over gasping for air.

"You're dying," I heard a sad voice say behind me. I quickly turned around and saw my mother standing behind me, her eyes shining with tears as she looked at me.

"Mom," I whispered as I stepped towards her. I barely even took two steps as I felt another painful stab in my chest, causing me to drop down to my knees.

"Wake up, Silvia," my dad said frantically from behind me. I looked up at my mom who was nodding her head in agreement.

"I don't want to leave. I just got you back," I said crying as I stood back up and turned to face both of them.

"You will die if you don't go now," my mother wailed. I stared at her in disbelief as my body became deathly cold. Once again I experienced an excruciating pressure in my chest and could feel myself slipping away.

Everything started to become blurry and within seconds I could no longer see my parents. I was surrounded by a thick, suffocating darkness I had never experienced before. I suddenly became aware that I was lying on a cold, hard floor and my body felt strangely wet and freezing. In the distance I heard someone calling my name and I began following the sound, hoping for a way out of this place. Visions of blue and purple danced before my eyes as I started to wake up.

I tried to breathe but I instantly started choking and immediately felt two large hands push me onto my side. My eyes popped open as I began violently coughing up water, which I could feel running out of my mouth and down my chin. For the next few minutes I was in excruciating pain as water flowed from both my nose and mouth, and all I could think about was getting fresh air. My throat and lungs burned so badly that breathing was almost impossible, and I could hear myself gasping as my body struggled to inhale.

I felt someone's hand gently brush the hair from my face as I continued fighting for air. I lied there for a while until I began breathing normally again, and then I became aware that I was extremely cold and dripping wet. I looked up for the first time fully conscious and saw Ronan kneeling next to me on the floor, staring at me intently. My teeth began chattering uncontrollably as my body shook from the cold, and I slowly sat up and began rubbing my arms. I instantly realized that I was naked and looked up at Ronan flushing with embarrassment as I covered myself with my hands. He quickly draped a warm, silky towel around my back and wrapped it around my body, never breaking eye contact as he did so.

Without a word he bent over and smoothly scooped me up in his arms, slowly carrying me out of the bathroom bridal-style. I naturally leaned into his chest, enjoying the comfort that his strength provided for me at the moment. It felt surprisingly nice to be in his strong arms, and I was genuinely surprised by his gracefulness. When we reached the bed he gently set me down and pulled the covers over me. My hand quickly reached underneath the covers and pulled the wet towel off, throwing it to the side of the bed.

His eyes glanced at the discarded towel on the floor as he sat down next to me, and his hand placed something on my nightstand. My head turned to the side and I recognized the small glass vial which contained the mind-numbing pills.

"I didn't know the pill would make me pass out like that," I croaked, sounding like a middle-aged smoker.

"You nearly drowned," he said harshly, causing me to tremble. I didn't understand why he was getting so upset. I was fine now and that's all that mattered.

"It was an accident," I said quietly while looking down. My fingers absently began playing with the sheets, helping to distract me from Ronan's disappointed stare.

"A minute later and you would have been dead," he said slowly, his voice dripping with anger.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I looked back up at him. "Thank you for saving me," I said sincerely with teary eyes. His expression seemed to soften as he stared at me, and he quickly turned his head away looking annoyed.

"Ronan," I said quietly, waiting for him to look at me. His head slightly turned in my direction as he stared at me from the corner of his eyes.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I asked timidly. I knew I was pushing it, but after everything that happened I didn't want to be alone.

"You are acting like a child," he said disdainfully as he looked at me with disapproval.

"Fine. Then leave," I said tiredly. I sure as hell didn't want him staying if he was just going to insult me.

"Do not command me," he said threateningly as he turned his body towards mine. I rolled my eyes, annoyed by his need to prove himself more powerful, and pulled the sheets up to my chin. In my peripheral vision I could see him staring at me while my fingers nervously played with my hair. I heard him make a quiet hissing sound and I quickly glanced up to see him raise his chin and look away.

"This will not happen again after tonight," he said angrily while still looking away.

I watched in awe as he walked over to the other side of the bed and began positioning himself on the mattress. As he pulled his legs onto the bed and sat up with his back against the headboard, I couldn't help but stare at him with amazement. When I saw his head turn to look down at me, I quickly looked away and pulled the sheets tighter over my body. Although he was sitting on top of the covers, it felt strange to be lying in bed naked with Ronan next to me – especially now that he has seen me naked. Oddly enough, I didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed by this. Now seems as good a time as any to discuss what happened in the dining room.

"About earlier today…" I said quietly while fidgeting with the comforter.

"There is no need to discuss it," he interjected irritably. I glanced up to my left and saw him staring straight ahead at the wall looking resentful.

"I liked it," I whispered softly before I could think about it. I saw his eyes slightly flicker in my direction, obviously surprised by my words, but he continued staring straight ahead.

"It felt so…," I said, unable to finish. I was going to say amazing, orgasmic, explosive, and more but I was too embarrassed, so I sighed pleasantly instead. I saw the corner of Ronan's mouth turn up slightly in a smirk.

"But I don't know you and honestly you confuse the hell out of me. One minute you're choking me and then you're saving my life. Plus, I'm a… well you know," I said awkwardly. "I don't know about this galaxy but on Earth that's a pretty big deal. It's just not how I plann-," I said before Ronan's hand covered my mouth. I glanced up and saw him staring at me frustratedly with his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Your incessant drivel is tiresome," he said frowning. "You have made your point. Now sleep," he said seriously. His tone suggested he was not in the mood for arguing, so I sank down into the mattress as he released his hand.

He stared at me approvingly while I remained quiet and still, waiting for sleep. The fact that he was staying until I fell asleep was enough for me to ignore his arrogant method of silencing me, so I was not going to argue. I honestly didn't want to be alone right now, and I was frighteningly becoming attached to Ronan. It sucked to admit, but it was true. Apparently Ronan felt it too because as I drifted off to sleep, I could feel his fingers caressing my neck.

Small actions such as these made it clear to me that Ronan had feelings for me.

For the first time ever, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

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><p><strong>Uh-oh...things are getting a little steamy.<strong>

**Reviews are always welcome and helpful! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter song: Hi-Five by Angel Olsen**_

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><p>When I awoke the next morning, my arm immediately reached to my left to see if Ronan was still there. I felt a pang of disappointment when my hand touched nothing but cold sheets. I slowly rubbed my eyes and sat up, looking around the room just to make sure I was really alone. He never promised to stay the night, but a small part of me was hoping he would. Before my imprisonment, I never craved the attention of others; in fact, I enjoyed being by myself most of the time. However, now I felt myself becoming strangely dependent on Ronan for companionship – and that was not good at all.<p>

Shortly after I got dressed and ate my simple breakfast of porridge and fruit, Nebula walked into my room and escorted me to the training room. We entered the padded room and immediately I sensed that something was wrong. Before I could even turn around to ask what we were doing today, Nebula began attacking me from behind, and I instantly rolled forward to escape her blows.

I quickly stood up and turned to face her with my arms blocking my face, as if I already anticipated her next move. Sure enough, her fist roughly hit me in my right arm, causing me to stumble backwards a few feet. For the next ten minutes Nebula continued attacking me from all directions, and much to my surprise, I was able to block and evade every single blow. I actually began to smile because I realized I was hardly trying at all, whereas Nebula was becoming angrier by the second.

When I began smiling she lost it. She began ferociously striking me and soon I was overwhelmed by her relentless kicks. I was not quick enough for her kick to my chest and as a result I was sent flying backwards, roughly landing on my ass.

I slowly stood up, feeling slightly stunned by the sudden impact. Other than that, I felt completely fine, which was surprising since Nebula just dealt a powerful blow to my upper body. Surely I had to have at least one broken rib or a fracture. My hands roamed across my torso as I inspected myself for any undetected injuries, but everything felt normal. Nebula stared at me questioningly while she walked towards me.

"How are you not injured?" she asked suspiciously. She stopped within a few feet of me and continued staring at me like she couldn't believe her eyes.

"I…don't know," I said, not quite believing it myself. "I guess I really _am_ getting stronger," I said proudly as I looked back up at her. She rolled her eyes at this and placed herself into a fighting stance once again.

"Let's test this newfound strength of yours," she said smugly as she advanced towards me.

For the next couple of hours Nebula and I sparred, and much to her embarrassment the results were similar to earlier. For some unknown reason, I was becoming particularly good at defending myself, and I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy by this. I had only been training for a few days, but my body already felt accustomed to fighting.

It almost felt like I could sense what she was going to do before she actually did it, and this allowed me to dodge and block almost all of her strikes. Nebula began grunting as she attacked me - obviously frustrated by my ability to easily block her - and soon she was openly cursing at the moments when she missed my body completely.

"How is this possible?" she asked angrily. She became completely still after another failed attack.

"You must be a good teacher," I said unsurely. I was honestly asking myself the same question and didn't blame her for being so upset. Maybe I am naturally a good fighter and for some reason this hidden talent is just now appearing. The idea seemed ridiculous, but there really was no other explanation.

Nebula didn't seem convinced by my answer, but she didn't say anything else about it for the rest of the day. Over the next several hours she continued training me in defensive tactics - despite the fact that I really didn't need it – until we were both mentally and physically drained. She suddenly stopped and looked at me with her mouth drawn tight.

"We are done for today," she said distastefully as she began walking towards the door. "Tomorrow we will move on to offensive combat. Do not expect it to be easy," she said in a low voice.

When I returned to my room I was happy to discover a hot meal waiting for me on my nightstand. I walked over to the steaming plate and saw a strange roasted animal lying on top of what appeared to be a bed of couscous. Surrounding the animal were large, colorful vegetables which made my mouth water just by looking at them. The animal on the other hand did not look as appetizing. It smelled delicious, but I was pretty certain that if a chicken and a rat were to have a baby, this is what it would look like. However, it felt rude and wasteful not to eat it so I hesitantly took a bite of the white, juicy meat. It tasted like chicken. Surprise, surprise.

After eating I took a long, hot shower and scrubbed away the salty layer of sweat on my skin. I could feel my mood lifting by the second as the soap suds ran down my body. Cleanliness was always something I enjoyed, and I was enormously grateful for being given such a wonderful shower.

When I was done, I quickly walked across the cold, slate tile and grabbed my towel off of the sink countertop. While I was drying off I couldn't help but wonder if Ronan would be waiting for me in my bedroom. As my hand turned the doorknob, I felt my heart start to beat a little faster with excitement.

My eyes eagerly scanned the room, but I was disappointed to find myself alone. I slowly walked over to my bed and plopped myself down on the edge, casually swinging my feet in boredom. My mouth and jaw suddenly felt tired and I realized that I had been frowning. It was saddening to discover just how much I had been looking forward to seeing him.

For the next hour I walked around my room trying to decipher the carved images in my walls, but none of it made sense to me, so I finally lied back down on my bed. Exhaustion quickly overcame me and soon I was sound asleep, dreaming about a mysterious blue man.

The next morning, I was roughly shaken awake by Nebula and ordered to get dressed. When we entered the training room, Nebula immediately put me to work and had me practice my offensive strikes on the wall pads. Within the first few seconds of practice I noticed something very strange was happening. The pad felt unusually soft and conforming, whereas a few days ago it felt like I was hitting a brick wall and left my hands feeling bruised afterwards. Now, wherever my hands and feet made contact with the pad, a small indention was made.

"Are these new?" I asked pointing to the wall pads. Nebula slowly walked over to where I was standing and stared at the wall suspiciously as she got closer.

She ran her hand over the wall pad, narrowing her eyes in confusion as she did so, and quickly turned to face me. Her mouth was slightly parted as she stared at me, but she remained silent.

"Let's begin hand-to-hand combat," she said curtly as she walked to the center of the room. It sounded like her teeth were clenched together when she spoke. I hesitantly walked over to where she was standing and stopped ten feet in front of her, unsure of what to do.

"Try to attack me," she ordered angrily when I remained unmoving.

I walked towards her although I was extremely intimidated by the way she was staring at me, and attempted a straight punch to her face. She quickly bent backwards to avoid my hit and kicked me in the stomach as she straightened up, forcing me away from her. Immediately I advanced again, this time feeling more determined to wipe that smug look off her face.

After a combination of punches and kicks, I was finally able to break her defensive position and land a palm strike to her nose. I actually heard her grunt in pain as the heel of my palm hit her in the nose, which made me feel disturbingly happy and proud. Nebula became motionless and glared at me, clearly not enjoying how things were going.

"Time for a break," she said gruffly, turning her back to me as she walked out of the room.

She motioned with her hand for me to follow her, so I immediately began jogging to catch up to her. Soon I was standing in front of the double doors which led into the dining room. As the doors opened, a wave of mouthwatering scents filled my nose and mouth, and automatically my stomach began to growl. I felt my feet moving before I even thought about it, and instantly I was standing by the long table which was covered in dozens of trays filled with decadent foods.

My eyes surveyed the room to see if Ronan was lurking in the shadows, but I was alone – again. I rolled my eyes and began eating unenthusiastically from the trays, feeling slightly annoyed by his absence.

About an hour later Nebula returned and all but dragged me down the hall, taking me back to the dreaded training room. We continued training in offensive hand-to-hand combat, but we did not fight as long as we did yesterday. Nearly two hours of training had passed and I had lost count of how many times I had managed to strike Nebula. For whatever reason, I was improving remarkably fast, and I could tell this angered Nebula because by the end of our training she was a snarling, grunting mess.

I almost wanted to apologize for advancing so quickly, but I knew I shouldn't feel guilty for such a thing. In fact, she should be proud because it just meant she was an excellent instructor. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else going on here. After all, I had only been training for four days so it was almost physically impossible for me to get so good so fast. As we walked back to my room I stared at the floor in silence, pondering over the possibilities.

After eating and showering, I started to feel restless so I began pacing my room until my feet hurt. Any time I thought I heard something my head snapped to the main door, hoping to see a large blue man walk in and save me from my boredom. Several hours passed by and Ronan still hadn't visited me. My feet tapped nervously on the floor as I stood by the door, waiting for it to open. I walked over to the door on the left side of my room and tried opening it out of curiosity. It was locked just like the other times I had tried. What was the point of having a door that never opened?

I walked over to my bed and tried to sleep when I concluded Ronan would not be visiting me – _again_. I couldn't help but feel a little resentful. Yes, I was his prisoner, but he managed to see me every day before, so why suddenly stop now?

It felt like I had barely even closed my eyes when I heard Nebula shouting at me to wake up. I reluctantly got dressed and grabbed a pastry from the tray on my nightstand, quickly devouring it as I followed her through the hallway. When we entered the training room, Nebula walked over to the right wall and removed one of the pads from the wall, revealing a complex looking control panel. Her fingers swiftly entered a code into the panel and almost immediately a wall began descending from the ceiling on the opposite side of the room.

The wall was filled with dozens of shelves and sitting on each shelf was a unique weapon. As I stepped closer, I could identify a few guns which I had seen the guards on the ship carrying around, as well as many different knives and batons. The majority of the weapons were unrecognizable to me and I couldn't even begin to guess what they did.

We spent the _entire_ day going over every single weapon in elaborate detail until my brain felt like it was going to explode. Although some of the weapons were fascinating – such as the gun that could shoot multiple people at once – it was the most boring day of my life.

When I entered my room I was expecting to see Ronan, but the only thing waiting for me was my dinner. Seriously, where the hell was he? I was beginning to feel crazy being locked up in here with no one else to talk to except for the ever-cheerful Nebula. The fact that I would rather hang out with Ronan than her just confirmed how utterly desperate I was for company. This was insane - no, _I_ was insane.

The next day when I still received no visit from him, I asked Nebula where he was but the only answer I got was "he's busy," and she refused to go into any more detail. I began keeping track of how many days it had been since I last saw him.

**Five days.** Where was he?

**Six days.** I'm tired of guns.

**Seven days.** I don't have to use the eye piece, Nebula.

**Eight days.** I don't need to practice anymore. Look, my aim is perfect.

**Nine days.** Is he mad at me? What did I do?

**Ten days.** I hate this.

**Eleven days.** Leave me alone, Nebula. You taught me this already.

**Twelve days.** I am stronger than you. Why do you keep fighting me?

**Thirteen days.** Why is he doing this to me? LEAVE ME ALONE, NEBULA.

On the fourteenth day I snapped.

Over the past two weeks I had become frighteningly good at everything Nebula taught me. After the first week she and I both silently agreed not to talk about it because it was an uncomfortable subject. It obviously bothered Nebula that I was stronger than her and there was no explanation for my creepy, freakishly-fast reflexes.

My body moved on its own, performing moves I did not even know I was capable of, and it honestly freaked me out. The other day during weapons training I managed to hit one hundred targets, all perfectly in the middle, in under thirty seconds. How was that even possible?

Today Nebula and I were back in the padded training room, practicing both offensive and defensive moves. Over the last few days Nebula and I sparred, and I won every single time. Fighting Nebula wasn't exactly easy, but it wasn't hard either; it was mostly annoying because she was the most stubborn person I had ever met.

Two days ago I roughly kicked her in the jaw and consequently discovered her body automatically fixes itself any time a bone or joint becomes dislocated. It was crazy and mildly disgusting to watch her jaw pop back into place, but the craziest part was that she wanted to keep fighting. It was like she was determined to prove she was better than me.

"Nebula, we've done this already. We fight. I win. Game over," I said tiredly as I started walking towards the door.

I heard a faint whooshing sound and a second later felt something nick my ear. Sticking out of the wall in front of me was a twelve inch long knife. When I pulled my fingers away from my ear I looked down to see they were coated in blood, and I instantly felt myself become enraged.

"What the fuck," I hissed, turning around to face her.

"Do not turn your back on me, Terran. The time for child's play is over. Let's see who the better fighter is once and for all," she said harshly, walking towards me in quick, deliberate strides.

"Fine, bitch," I growled back at her, preparing myself for her attack.

As Nebula closed the distance in between us, my mind began exploring the possible moves she might make, but nothing prepared me for what she did next. In the blink of an eye, Nebula was spinning horizontally in the air with her feet aiming straight at my chest, and I knew I didn't have time to move. I felt her feet land directly on my sternum, causing me to fly backwards faster than I imagined possible. I didn't even have time to process the pain in my chest as my back collided with something hard. There was a loud, shattering noise, and instantly my body was covered with shards of glass.

I slowly stood up in the hallway, grunting in pain as pieces of glass dug into my skin. I looked up to see the glass wall that once looked into the training room was now completely destroyed and lying at my feet in broken fragments. At that moment, all I could think about was hurting Nebula. Every bit of emotional turmoil I had suppressed for the past two weeks suddenly came bubbling up to the surface, and I became blinded by a desperate rage.

I heard the sound of glass crunching underneath my feet before I even realized I was running towards Nebula. I decided at that moment to let my body take over, and instantly it felt like a switch had gone off in my brain, turning me into some type of killer animal. It was a bizarre feeling because for once in my life I allowed my body to act before my brain could think, and it was actually working. The adrenaline and rage that coursed through my body turned everything into a blur, but I suddenly became aware that Nebula was on the ground, writhing in pain. I stood over her, breathing heavily from physical exertion, and forced my body to relax. Now that it was over, I actually felt guilty looking down at her.

After a few seconds I heard a faint sound to my right and I quickly turned my head to discover the origin of the noise. I felt my eyes widen with surprise as I saw Ronan standing in the hallway, staring at me and Nebula with faint disbelief. Without thinking I started moving in his direction, trying to get ahold of him before he disappeared into oblivion again.

"Ronan," I whispered as I stepped closer to him. When his eyes met mine, I felt myself come to a sudden halt. The message he was sending through his eyes could not have been any clearer – he did not want me anywhere near him. It felt like I had been punched in the stomach, but I remained untouched where I stood.

He stood there frowning at me for what felt like a lifetime until he turned and began walking away, leaving me alone with Nebula once again. Despite every instinct telling me not to, I ran after Ronan. Maybe it was the adrenaline which still ran through my veins or my desperation for a meaningful conversation – who knows – but I was not going to just let Ronan walk away from me. By the time I caught up to him he was almost around the corner out of sight. My feet pounded against the hard, metallic floor as I sprinted towards him.

"Hey!" I shouted as I ran up behind him, but he did not stop or slow down. The second my fingers touched his back, he turned around and pushed me against the wall with his hand wrapped around my neck.

"Do not assume to touch me, Terran," he growled as his grip tightened, causing me to whimper. Terran, _really_? I didn't understand what I had done to make him so angry.

"Why are you acting like this?" I asked, bewildered by his harsh behavior.

"You are my prisoner and nothing more," he said angrily. "It is time you start behaving as such," he said in a low voice looking down at me.

"It sure felt like _more_ two weeks ago," I said heatedly. My eyes began to water with the anger I now felt deep inside me. How dare he treat me like this? Everything that had happened between us was _his_ fault, not mine.

"Enough of this," he said, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt. He began pulling me along with him down the hallway towards my room. I could barely keep up with his long strides, so half the time he was dragging me and I was stumbling around like an idiot.

"Ronan, let go of me," I said hotly, trying to pull his hand away from me. He remained facing forward, walking at an unreasonably fast pace.

I suddenly tripped and fell facedown onto the floor, crying out as my knees hit the hard metal. Before I could even attempt to get up, I felt Ronan pick me up and sling me over his shoulder like I was a bag of flour. I started screaming indignantly, punching and kicking as hard as I could, but he didn't even seem to notice.

"Let me down! _You_ are the one that started this, not me. This isn't my fault," I shouted irritably as I continued to wriggle on his shoulder.

"You can't leave me here alone. Please, I can't take it anymore," I cried out as we came to a stop. I heard the sound of a door opening and then I was roughly dropped from his shoulder onto the floor of my bedroom.

"Ronan!" I shouted angrily at his back as the door closed behind him. I stared at the door in disbelief, hoping I had just imagined the whole ordeal. Was Ronan really not going to see me anymore?

I began crying when I thought about my impending isolation and meaningless existence inside this room. Captivity was not something I could handle well, and I was seriously worried about my mental health. I was already turning into a psychotic killing machine, capable of blacking out and harming people until they're writhing on the floor. I felt guilty for hurting Nebula, but it was honestly her fault. Still, it was scary to think I could overpower someone such as her. After today, I wasn't going to have anyone else to talk to. There was no way Nebula would want anything to do with me after what I did to her.

As snot ran from my nose, I forced myself up from the floor and into the bathroom, desperately needing to wash my face. As I waited for the bathtub to fill up, a thought came to my mind and I walked over to the pill cabinet. I wasn't going to kill myself, but doping myself up would make my imprisonment a little more tolerable. When I opened up the drawer I found it to be completely empty. Damn it. Ronan must have removed all of the pills after I nearly drowned. Well, so much for that plan.

After spending nearly an hour in the tub, I stepped out of the bathroom and crawled into bed, ignoring the steaming dinner plate by my nightstand. Sleep was my escape from this miserable place, and it could not come fast enough. Within minutes I was dreaming and blissfully unaware of my imprisonment on Ronan's ship.

For whatever reason, I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. I lied there in bed for nearly an hour, but I couldn't fall back asleep. I sighed in frustration and looked around the room, instantly noticing a faint light coming from the left side of my room, right where the locked door was. I swiftly got out of bed and pulled on a shirt and a pair of shorts I found in my clothes pile.

As I got closer to the door I felt my heart start to beat faster with excitement when I noticed something different. The door was slightly cracked open, but if you weren't looking close enough it would still appear closed. My fingers pushed slightly on the door, causing it to slowly open up without a sound. When the gap was wide enough, I stepped through the door and had to stop myself from gasping at what I saw.

It was a bedroom. It was eerily similar to my own bedroom, except the furniture was slightly grander and the ceilings were even higher. The room was illuminated with the same bluish-white wall sconces that were found in my room, which made the space appear more mysterious and alluring. Everything about this room was clean, orderly, and smelled strangely masculine. On the opposite wall there was a door which was slightly open and light could be seen through the crack. I began absently walking towards the door as my curiosity got ahold of me.

When I reached the other side of the room and stood five feet away from the door, something to my left caught my eye. I looked over and instantly felt my mouth run dry as I looked at something terribly familiar: Ronan's armor. For a second I thought it was Ronan himself, but when I didn't see his blue skin or glowing, purple eyes I was instantly filled with relief. I looked back to the door in front of me, now slightly trembling with anticipation and nervousness. Before I could stop myself, I stepped forward and lightly pushed on the door.

My chest was visibly rising and falling with excitement as the door began opening up. When the door was finally fully opened, I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping open at what I saw. The room was filled with steam and there in front of me was a very naked Ronan standing in the shower, completely unaware of my presence. He was turned away from me so all I could see was his backside, but that was enough to make me feel hot with desire, and I absently walked forward.

Everywhere I looked I saw defined muscles hidden underneath beautiful, blue skin. His upper body had a perfect "V" shape which reminded me of an Olympic swimmer, but he had much more muscle mass. I felt myself blush as my eyes moved lower, but I was too curious to stop there. I never considered myself an ass girl, but Ronan's ass was something completely different. It honestly looked like it had been carefully sculpted and created solely for the purpose of being stared at. His lean, muscular legs only accentuated his perfectly round bottom that women back home would pay to have.

He leaned forward with his hand placed on the wall while his other hand slowly rubbed the back of his neck. I was surprised to see that he was bald, but it suited him. As his hand ran up his neck and over his head, the muscles of his upper back and arms flexed from the movement, and I truly admired his physique at that moment. I heard myself sigh in appreciation and I instantly regretted it. My hand covered my mouth to cover the noise, but I was too late.

Not a second later, Ronan was halfway turned around, staring at me with wide, furious eyes. I started walking backwards, completely terrified of him at the moment, as my heart began pounding away in my chest. I felt my breath catch in my throat as he stepped out of the shower. I reflexively covered my eyes with my hand in embarrassment and quickly turned around to run out of the room. That was probably the stupidest thing I could have done because before I even took one step, I felt my face collide with the door frame. I silently cursed myself for being an idiot and stumbled out of the bathroom with my hand holding my sore forehead.

When I ran past Ronan's bed, I felt his hand grab the back of my shirt and pull me backwards, causing me to slam into his torso. My hands rested on his bare abdomen, which was covered in an impressive eight pack and felt as hard as a rock. His hand pulled on my hair so I was forced to look up at him, and right away I felt my eyes go wide with shock and wonder.

I had never seen Ronan before without his war paint on and what I saw now was so completely different than what I was used to, so I couldn't help but stare at him in awe. He was still intimidating to look at, but without the black paint surrounding his eyes, he did not look like the terrifying man I had grown to fear. He was actually extremely handsome. Of course his powerful presence and large physique still scared the hell out of me, but as my hands felt his chiseled abs, I felt a strange tingling sensation in my core. I didn't think it was possible, but I was both slightly frightened and turned on at the same time.

"How did you get in here?" he asked in a sharp voice. "Answer me," he hissed, tugging on my hair when I didn't answer right away. When he spoke I noticed his teeth appeared to be perfectly white and straight now that they weren't covered in black paint.

"I... the door… it was open," I whispered, subconsciously licking my lips. He glanced down at my mouth, slightly loosening his grip on my hair as he did so. I looked down at his chest and abs, and slowly began moving my hands across his chiseled torso, relishing in the power I felt behind his muscles. I could feel Ronan's eyes watching me as I explored his body, but he made no move to stop me.

My hands moved lower until they reached the towel that was tightly wrapped around his waist, and I suddenly felt a burning hot desire overcome my body. Just as the tips of my fingers pulled on the top of his towel, Ronan's hands fiercely gripped my wrists, causing me to wince in pain.

"You are my prisoner," he growled harshly, glaring down at me.

"Yes," I said softly as my eyes roamed across his body.

I didn't know what was happening to me, but every inch of my body felt like it was on fire. Ronan let go of my wrists and tightly held my jaw with his right hand, tilting my head back so I was looking straight up at him. Now that my hands were free again, I placed them above the towel on his waist and began playing with the edge of fabric. He leaned in closer so I could feel his hot breath on my face and looked at me with his penetrating, purple eyes.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking you're in control here," he said slowly in a deep, husky voice.

"I have no control," I said as my fingers toyed with his towel. "Please," I whispered, unable to holdback my desire any longer.

His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared at my words, as if I had said something of great significance. He looked at me with heavy eyes and lowered his face so his mouth was hovering above mine in a teasing manner.

"You don't know what you're asking for," he said seriously, tightening his grip on my jaw.

"I'm asking for _you_," I said impatiently as my hand pulled at his towel, causing it to drop down to the floor. My eyes remained locked on his face as he stared down at me smugly, as if he was impressed by my bold move.

Ronan grabbed my hair once again and pulled my head back, while his other hand gently held me by my neck. He quickly closed the space between us and pressed his lips against mine with a delicious amount of force. His mouth slightly parted and I felt his tongue expertly open my lips, claiming my mouth for his own. My hands reached around his neck and pulled his head closer as our tongues began fighting for dominance. He was an excellent kisser and I felt myself growing wetter by the second. When I began moaning into his mouth, I heard him growl and he then roughly pushed me backwards, causing me to fall onto my back on the bed.

I looked down past his waist for the first time and gulped when I saw his erect manhood pointing at me like a weapon. I had seen plenty of dicks before – from porn, anatomy class, the occasional frat party – but never a blue one. It was _easily_ two inches wide and eight inches long, which made me extremely nervous because I knew it was going to be painful. The closer he got, the larger it appeared, and I felt myself swallow nervously. I looked back up as he slowly approached me and saw him smirking down at me, obviously noticing the worry on my face when I took in his size.

"It will not hurt with me," he said softly with confidence as he lowered himself on top of me.

And I trusted him.

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><p><strong>I know, I know! I hate to end the chapter right there, but good things come to those who wait. Trust me.<strong>

**On another note - sorry the update took so long. I had family in town! The reviews have been SO encouraging and nice. I really appreciate them and they definitely keep me motivated, so thanks :)**

**The next chapter should not take as long to complete, so no need to worry. I will not keep you waiting too long for the full details ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter song: Civilian by Wye Oak_**

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><p>If someone told me a month ago that I would lose my virginity to an alien, I would have thought they were crazy and laughed in their face, but here I was, panting with fervent desire underneath a blue man whom I hardly knew. I had gone twenty-two years without ever being seduced into a man's bed, but now I was begging Ronan to take away my innocence. I didn't know what was happening to me. Before I met Ronan, I didn't even think it was possible to reach the state of arousal I was experiencing now. It was intense, unbearable, scorching, and making me uncomfortably wet.<p>

My body obviously had no issue with what was about to happen, but I couldn't silence the nagging voice in the back of my head. I didn't even know the man, yet I was ready to give him something that could never be returned or replaced. And what was up with him ignoring me? Two weeks ago he saved my life – again – and agreed to watch me sleep, yet today he adamantly tells me I am nothing but a prisoner to him. Why? His actions said I was more than a prisoner to him, but he seemed determined to prove otherwise. Why would he do this unless… wait…

Could it be possible that Ronan really does care for me and it frightens him? That would explain why he avoided me for two weeks and treated me so harshly today. Now that I thought about it, it almost sounded like he was trying to convince _himself_ when he told me I was nothing more to him. Was I just grasping at straws trying to justify what I was about to do? Probably. But my intuition was telling me to trust Ronan, despite everything he did to me.

Honestly, I didn't even care anymore, especially now that Ronan's naked, heavy body was pressed against mine. The aching, tightening desire I felt in between my legs was making it hard for me to think clearly. What good has my virginity done for me anyways? I was probably never going back to Earth, so I might as well lose it to a hot, powerful, alien warlord – or whatever the hell he was. Fuck it.

Any remaining doubts I had quickly vanished as I felt Ronan's soft lips press against my neck, right below my ear. Slowly, and quite teasingly, his lips began to move downwards, planting kisses every few seconds along the side of my neck, until he reached a delicious spot near the bottom that made my toes curl. He stopped as he sensed my body's reaction, and for the briefest second I felt him smile against my skin before his practiced mouth began sucking on my neck more forcefully.

My back involuntarily arched at the wonderful sensation, causing my breasts to push into his solid, masculine chest. Every time he kissed my neck, I felt electrical pulses flow through my body down to my groin, and it was making me unbearably horny.

"Ronan," I whispered. "Please, I'm ready," I said softly into his ear. I heard him chuckle into my neck before he lifted his head to look me in the eyes.

"You are not even close to ready," he said, smirking at me when I began to pout.

"Patience, Silvia," he said slowly. "I have only just begun," he purred into my ear, before raising himself up into a kneeling position.

He gently pulled on my arms so I was forced to sit up, and in the same motion he pulled my shirt off over my head, not even giving me the opportunity to do it myself. As I felt the cold air against my bare breasts, I felt a brief flicker of embarrassment and out of habit I covered myself up with my hands. My modesty was short-lived though, because Ronan quickly pulled my hands apart and pushed me back down to the mattress, pinning my hands on either side of my head.

"You will not hide anything from me tonight," he said assertively with a hint of anger in his voice. I meekly nodded in response, admiring his authority and confidence now more than ever.

When he was sure I would not cover myself up again, he let go of my wrists and slid his fingers underneath the top of my shorts, making eye contact with me as he did so. As he began pulling the thin fabric down, I felt my face grow hot as I remembered I wasn't wearing any panties. I nervously bit my bottom lip and watched Ronan's face as he removed the last barrier between our bodies, noticing how his eyes crinkled in delight when he saw my hairless mound. His hands deftly slid my shorts down the remainder of my legs, throwing them off to the side without a glance.

His eyes feasted hungrily on my naked, vulnerable body, and judging by his rigid length he was enjoying the sight. I crossed my legs and pressed my thighs tightly together, trying to create some kind of friction to ease the oppressive throbbing in my groin. He leaned forward from his kneeling position and hovered above my exposed body, staring at me with slanted, frustrated eyes.

"Stop," he growled, sending chills down my spine. I immediately stopped and looked at him pleadingly as I ran my hands along his beautifully sculpted chest. When he began lowering himself onto the mattress to the right side of my body, I groaned in frustration and tried to pull him back on top of me.

"Patience," he said with a smirk. He propped himself up on his elbow and faced his body towards mine, all the while watching me with an amused look on his face. I could feel his impressive length pressed against my right outer thigh.

"Ronan," I whined as I started to turn my body to face him. Before I could move Ronan's left hand seized both of my wrists and pinned them above my head, while his right leg forced my legs open and kept them spread apart with his knee bent.

Without warning, I had become extremely vulnerable in a matter of seconds, and it was absolutely terrifying. Being dominated by a strong, unrelenting man was completely uncharted territory. My stubborn, virgin mindset was beginning to kick in and it was strongly urging me to protect my maidenhood. There I was, lying spread-eagle and bound to a bed; unable to move or cover up my naked body, so of course my first instinct was to escape.

The only limb of mine that remained unrestrained was my left leg, and so I began kicking at his right leg which was placed strategically between my legs, preventing me from closing them. Although I was kicking him, I could feel myself holding back, and I knew it was because deep down inside I wanted him to dominate me. It was intimidating, unfamiliar, and frightening, but it was also exhilarating and made me feel desirable.

As I struggled against his grip, I heard Ronan quietly growl before he leaned in and captured my neck with his mouth, instantly finding my erogenous zone. My body momentarily paused and succumbed to the heavenly pleasure he was giving me, making me gasp and shudder against his body. While his mouth worked wonders on my neck, I could feel his right hand slowly traveling down my body, heading straight for my untouched cherry. Once again I attempted to wrestle out of his grip, but he only tightened his hold on me, making it impossible for me to move a single inch.

By now I was breathing loudly from the excitement and fear that overwhelmed my mind. Although I was scared, I didn't cry or scream for him to stop because I wanted it. I wanted it _bad,_ and Ronan knew it too; however, despite my obvious desire and arousal, I couldn't stop my body from struggling against him. The stubborn side of me was holding me back, not allowing me to willingly submit to him.

When his hand cupped my warm, moist mound, he removed his mouth from my neck and looked up to gauge my reaction. I slightly jumped as his large hand pressed against my bare folds, and this caused the corners of Ronan's mouth to curve up in a devious smile. He continued to stare at me with heavy eyes as one of his fingers began teasingly moving up and down my folds, while I squirmed with apprehension and arousal. His finger unexpectedly slipped in between my lips, causing me to gasp, and instantly found the wetness which had begun pooling at my entrance.

I felt deep, guttural vibrations in his chest as he hummed in appreciation at my body's eagerness, while his engorged muscle twitched against my thigh with anticipation. His left hand tightened around my wrists when I whimpered, as if he expected me to try to escape again, but that was the last thing on my mind right now. All I could think about was how badly I wanted Ronan to plunge his finger deep inside of me and end the overwhelming inner ache in my core. My hips instinctively lifted upwards in an attempt to push his finger through my entrance, but this only caused Ronan to pull his hand back and 'tsk' in mocking disapproval.

"Try that again... and you will be punished," he said in a low, husky voice.

Although his eyes were wrinkled with amusement, I could tell he was deadly serious, and for some odd reason this caused my abdominal muscles to tighten with excitement. I made a strange sound, a kind of half-moan half-whimper, and weakly nodded at Ronan in understanding.

I remained completely still as his fingers returned to my dripping, wet center, but I couldn't stop the strangled whimpers of sexual frustration from passing my lips. When his finger moved upwards to my throbbing bud, I completely lost it and writhed against his hold as pleasure overtook my senses. His finger, which was now coated with my slippery arousal, easily glided over my bud in small, circular movements, applying just the right amount of pressure. As his finger skillfully stroked my swollen nub, I could feel the familiar, building tightness in my lower abdominal muscles. I softly moaned and closed my eyes, trying to absorb every ounce of pleasure he was giving me.

As I came closer to my peak, my soft moans turned into loud, continuous, desperate moans of wanton need. I began having strong, involuntary muscle contractions and spasms, especially in my arms and legs, and I was grateful at that moment for being pinned down because I was sure I would have accidentally hit him if I weren't. A thin layer of sweat coated my body as my lower stomach muscles began contracting at a faster rate, burning and aching more and more each second.

When I felt the muscles in my core become unbearably tight, I knew I was about to come. After several faint, high-pitched moans, my body became rigid as I reached my orgasm, and all I could do was sit back and enjoy the blissful wave of ecstasy. Just as I was about to reach the high point of my climax, I felt Ronan's thumb replace his finger, and then I became aware of his middle finger pushing into my spasming tightness.

My eyes momentarily widened in shock, completely caught off guard by his sly move, but they quickly closed when Ronan began stroking my overstimulated bud with his thumb. My legs began to shake and the muscles in my core tightened around his finger, which elicited a lustful growl from Ronan, and this of all things brought me over the edge.

"I'm gonna come… please… don't stop… oh yesssss," I cried out loudly as I came.

My hips involuntarily rocked against his hand, pushing him further into me; but unlike last time, Ronan obliged and did not pull away. His finger continued to glide in and out of me in slow, steady strokes as the last waves of my orgasm came to an end.

I opened my heavy, lust-filled eyes and found Ronan staring at me quite devilishly with bright, tenacious eyes and flaring nostrils. His finger pushed further into me than before and I whined impatiently, wishing it was his veiny muscle instead of his digit. I wanted nothing more than for him to fill me up. As if he could read my thoughts, he began pushing another finger into my tight cavern, and I couldn't help but wince in pain.

"Tell me," he hissed as he positioned himself in between my legs, still holding my wrists above my head.

"Do you think you're ready for me?" he asked challengingly, forcing his fingers deeper into me. I cried out as he began abruptly stretching me with his fingers, making it feel as if I were being torn at my entrance.

"No," I whimpered, shaking my head.

"Well then," he said in a low, serious voice. "I suggest you quit whining," he said as he slowly pulled his fingers out.

Just when I started to feel a little relief, his fingers unexpectedly began pushing into me again. It didn't sting as much, but it still felt uncomfortable. If I couldn't even handle his fingers, how the hell was I supposed to take the rest of him?

"Ronan," I said in a shaky voice, suddenly feeling scared.

"Your body will adapt," he said, sensing my fear. "_Patience_, Silvia," he reminded me softly.

He released his grip on my wrists and lowered his other hand to my wet folds, going straight for my sensitive bud. In only a few seconds, Ronan had me moaning and grasping at the bed sheets as my body became overwhelmed with pleasure. His left hand was working magic on my bundle of nerves, while his other fingers filled me up, plunging in and out of me with increasing speed. I felt an unfamiliar pressure building inside of me that I had never felt before, and it was driving me absolutely crazy. I wanted – no I _needed_ him.

"Please, please, please," I cried out as my hands pulled at the sheets. "I want you inside of me," I begged, looking up at him.

"You are not ready yet," he said huskily, staring at me with lust-filled eyes.

"Yes I am! Please, Ronan," I whimpered as I tried pulling him on top of me.

"You cannot han-," he began in an irritated tone.

"NOW," I shouted with desperation, interrupting him. His eyes narrowed in annoyance, but his lips were turned up at the corners as he leaned over me, propping himself up on his left elbow.

"Very well," he said slowly, his deep voice hinting of amusement. He began sliding the head of his length up and down my folds, coating it in my silky juices, and then positioned himself at my entrance.

He leaned in closer and lowered himself so his chest was pushing against my bosom, making me feel tiny in comparison to his large, wide frame. Goosebumps began appearing on my skin as Ronan grazed his lips along my neck, stopping right next to my ear.

"You asked for this," he said darkly, his voice thick with desire. He lowered his mouth to my neck and began sucking on the spot that made my toes curl, and without warning, he began pushing himself inside of me.

Immediately there was a stinging sensation as he slid through my entrance, making me hiss and clutch at his arms, but he continued pushing into me. Although it slightly burned from being stretched, it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. While he continued kissing my neck, his right hand reached in between our bodies and once again began stroking me in between my folds, causing all of my pain to disappear. Almost instantly I felt my body relax and open up to his length, allowing Ronan to slide deeper inside of me. After nearly a minute of this, he stopped and raised his head to look me in the eyes.

"How do you feel?" he asked seriously as his left hand stroked my cheek.

"I'm fine," I whispered softly, smiling at his concern. "I thought it would hurt more," I said honestly.

"I told you it would not hurt with me," he said looking down at me. "Then again, I'm not yet halfway in," he said, smirking when my eyes popped open.

His left hand wrapped itself in my hair, slightly pulling on the scalp, while his other hand gently caressed the right side of my face. As he lowered his mouth to mine, I felt him pull out of me, leaving only the tip inside. My hands roamed across his back and neck as our lips pressed together, and I relished in feeling his muscles move with every movement. The masculinity that radiated off of him was intoxicating, and my legs subconsciously opened wider for him, silently granting him deeper access. His warm tongue pushed past my lips, easily forcing my mouth to open for him, and I was more than happy to submit to him. Just when I felt his tongue brush against mine, Ronan roughly pushed himself into me, causing me to moan into his mouth.

Over and over he thrust into me, each time almost pulling completely out and then slamming himself back in, deeper than before. My legs wrapped around his waist, pushing him deeper into me with each thrust, and this caused him to grunt with primal satisfaction. Every time he pushed himself into my tight hole, I would moan and exhale loudly, as it felt like he was pushing all of the air out of me.

After several minutes of this slow, delicious torture he began picking up the pace, and almost immediately I noticed something happening deep inside my walls. The pleasure I felt when Ronan's thick member pressed along my upper wall became magnified as his thrusts became quicker and more demanding, sending me into a spiral of sexual ecstasy.

My moans of pleasure transformed into desperate, pleading wails when Ronan began slamming into me with full force. The sound of skin slapping together resonated around the room as he mercilessly pounded into me, and this only turned me on even more. His fingers dug into my hips with brutal strength, holding me still as I began writhing from the overbearing pleasure that made my muscles spasm.

There was a tremendous pressure building in my core and in the pit of my stomach, and soon my walls began quivering around his massive cock. I could feel myself quickly approaching the edge of something magnificent, something I didn't think was possible your first time, and something even my experienced friends never got to enjoy. I was going to have an orgasm from penetration alone, and I knew this was only possible because Ronan was an expert at it.

"You belong to _me_," He growled into my ear, emphasizing each word with a powerful stroke.

I moaned loudly in response, incapable of forming words or thoughts at the moment.

"Say it," he ordered darkly as he roughly pulled my head back by my hair.

"I-I belong to you! Oh, God," I wailed as I felt my impending orgasm approach me. He smirked down at me triumphantly before he spoke.

"Now come for me," I heard him growl before his mouth captured one of my pert nipples in his mouth.

I felt his tongue swirl around my pink bud before gently biting and tugging on it, making me cry out in pain and pleasure as I approached my climax. It was the most amazing feeling in the world and I didn't want it to ever end. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as pleasure consumed every inch of my lower body, feeling as if every muscle was tightly wound and would explode at any second.

Just when I didn't think I could take it any longer, I felt my body become unusually still, as if it had become paralyzed with pleasure. A second later my back arched, which encouraged Ronan to continue biting and sucking on my swollen mounds. My hands gripped his arms in blind desperation and I heard screams of pure bliss escape my throat as I began having the best orgasm of my life. The muscles in my core actually pushed Ronan out of me as I came, and his eyes darkened with pride and lust.

"Yes," he grunted as he forced himself back into me. "Again, Silvia," he growled, slamming into me faster than before as I came around his thick length.

I just had the most amazing, intense orgasm of my life, and I was already feeling another one building as Ronan continued to relentlessly fuck me, driving me into the bed with each forceful push. Not even a minute later, I had another mind-shattering orgasm, and my abdominal muscles began to severely burn from the constant contractions. I didn't think it was possible, but this was actually feeling _too_ good. As I felt my third orgasm approaching, my abdominal muscles began tightening up again, and I began panting wildly because I was unable to catch my breath. Was it possible to pass out from sex?

"I can't- it's too much," I cried out in strangled gasps. My fingernails dug sharply into Ronan's lower back as I tried to find some form of release, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Look at me," he demanded loudly, grabbing me by my jaw.

I slowly opened my eyes and found Ronan's face hovering above mine. He was staring at me intensely with lustful, mischievous pride. We continued staring into each other's eyes for what felt like a lifetime, and I could have sworn Ronan was inside of my mind at that moment. My eyes began fluttering closed as I felt myself getting ready to come, and in response Ronan increased his speed. I opened my eyes when I heard him start to grunt every few thrusts, and watched his face as his eyes became filled with a dark, determined need I had never seen before.

His hands grabbed my hips once again, pulling me harder onto his throbbing muscle, and for the third time that night I came on him, feeling my juices run down my crack and onto the bed. Several seconds later, Ronan groaned and grabbed my hair before burying himself inside me as far as he could go, filling me with his hot seed in a few final thrusts.

When Ronan was finished, he rolled himself off of me and lied down next to my exhausted body. We both stared at the ceiling in silence, unsure of what to do or say next, but it was an oddly comfortable silence. The after effects of hot, mind-blowing sex left me feeling naturally buzzed, like I was floating on cloud nine, so I was more than happy to lie here without speaking. After a few minutes I felt myself begin to fall asleep, but I was pulled out of my stupor by Ronan's hand running along my arm.

"This does not change anything," he said in a deep voice, barely above a whisper. I instantly rolled my eyes at his comment. Why did he feel the need to ruin this moment?

"You have a real way with women, Ronan," I muttered sarcastically at the ceiling. I heard him snigger, as if he was amused, and I turned my head towards him out of curiosity.

He continued staring upwards, slightly smirking at the ceiling, like he was thinking about something humorous. His head turned to my side of the bed when he noticed I was looking at him.

"I am serious, Silvia," he warned quietly. His eyes narrowed in annoyance when he saw me raise my eyebrows skeptically at him.

"Don't fool yourself into believing this means something," he said derisively as he turned his face away from me. His mocking tone hurt more than I cared to admit, and it took everything in me not to cry. It was unfair how he could hurt me with just the sound of his voice.

"Fine," I huffed angrily. I wasn't in the mood to argue with him tonight. If he wanted to be a jerk, then fine – he could do that all by himself.

"I'm going to my room," I said tiredly, staggering out of bed. As I reached down to pick up my clothes, I caught Ronan looking at me unhappily, as if he was angered by me leaving.

"What?" I asked in a loud, irritated voice. His confusing behavior was really pissing me off. It was impossible to figure out what he wanted from me.

"Did I speak?" he replied coldly as he leaned back against the headboard. I sighed once again and bent down to pick up my panties. As I walked out of the room, I could feel his eyes watching me from the bed, but he remained silent.

I fell asleep that night hoping Ronan would come in and apologize, but I was sadly disappointed.

The next morning I was unexpectedly shaken awake by an angry, shouting blue woman. Nebula. What the hell was she doing?

"Did you hear me, Terran?" She shouted above my head. Her hand roughly pulled the covers back and unknowingly revealed my naked body.

"Hey!" I shouted angrily back at her. "What the hell is the matter with you?" I asked as I jumped out of bed and began grabbing my clothes.

Nebula's face grew more furious by the second as she looked me up and down. I looked down to try to find out what she was getting so upset about and immediately gasped. There were bruises in the shape of fingerprints all along my hips and outer thighs, and bite marks around my nipples. I didn't even remember him doing those things to me last night. I quickly dressed myself as Nebula continued to stare at me with a mixture of hatred and disgust.

"I get it now. The two of you are making a fool out of me. You know, don't you?" She asked scathingly from across the room.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said honestly confused. "Know about what?" I asked quietly as she continued staring at me with pure hatred.

"You know why you're stronger than me. Tell me," she said through clenched teeth. "I want to know the truth," she shouted when I began shaking my head.

"Nebula... I honestly don't know what the hell happened to me," I said softly as she began walking towards me. "The other day – I – I don't know what came over me," I whispered.

"You do understand that it is physically impossible for you to overpower me, don't you?" She said bitterly as she held up her robotic arm. "A mere Terran cannot defeat me, a trained assassin, in a matter of days," she said, stopping a few feet in front of me.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked uneasily. I didn't understand what she was getting at. Was she just jealous or was something seriously wrong with me? None of this made any sense to me.

"There is more to you than meets the eye," she said glaring at me. "If you don't know, then Ronan does. Either way, I will find out the truth. I always do," she muttered angrily as she turned away and walked out of the room.

I stood there looking around the room feeling completely lost. What the hell was Nebula talking about? I didn't just wake up one day and decide - "Hey, I'm going to become really strong and kick some ass," - and it wasn't like I had undergone some crazy, robot surgery like she did. I would have remembered that…right? I glanced down at my body uneasily. This was stupid. Nebula was just being jealous. Ronan would have told me if he knew what was happening to me. In fact, he hasn't even commented on my success in training.

Not a single word.

Not a single, _fucking_ word.

What _the fuck_ did he know?

When I walked into Ronan's room it was empty, so I sat on the edge of his bed and patiently waited for him to return. As I sat there on his bed, I felt a knot forming in my stomach which made me feel sick with unease, and I quickly found myself dreading Ronan's return. What if he tells me I'm actually an alien and everything I knew about myself was a lie? Were my parents not human? Was it from the pills I took? No. Nebula would have told me if it was the pills. Maybe he really did perform some kind of robot surgery on me and I'm secretly metal underneath this skin. No. I can clearly see the veins and tendons through my pale skin. Then what was it?

I was lying down on his bed when I heard the door open, and I slowly sat up and found him smirking at me from the doorway. I gulped when I saw him dressed in his full armor and paint which made him appear one-hundred times scarier now than he did last night. He slowly closed the door behind him and leaned his hammer against the wall.

"Eager for more, are we?" he said smugly as he sauntered towards me. I held up my hands and sat up in the bed, making him stop and stare at me with confusion.

"I want to know the truth, Ronan. How am I able to defeat Nebula?" I asked in a quiet, but determined voice.

I watched as Ronan's face transformed very quickly from confused to irritated and cautious. It suddenly became very clear that Ronan did indeed know what was happening to me. I could already feel the anger bubbling up inside of me.

"Ronan, tell me," I said, feeling my whole body go tense. He stared at me for a moment with clear annoyance written all over his face, but he also looked like he was thinking about something that worried him. Just when I thought I couldn't handle the suspense any longer, he slowly walked over to the bed and sat down next to me, but his eyes remained on the floor.

"When you were hit by the meteoroid…" he began slowly. I could already feel my heart beating wildly with fear.

"Your body was far more damaged than I let you believe," he continued quietly, still looking away from me.

"What did you do to me?" I asked shakily as I felt myself becoming angrier by the second.

"Steps had to be taken to ensure your survival," he said, stubbornly avoiding my question.

"Tell me what you did!" I yelled at him as tears began falling from my eyes. He quickly turned towards me as if he was going to yell back at me, but his eyes immediately softened when he saw my tears. After a few seconds his brow furrowed and his mouth slackened in defeat.

"I gave you a blood transfusion…with my blood," he said, his voice growing lower as he spoke.

"You did… what…" I said shocked.

I was not expecting that.

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><p><strong>;)<strong>

**Thank you for the nice feedback. You guys are awesome!**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter song: Ghost of Love by Marie Fisker**_

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><p>He couldn't possibly mean what I think he means. He is an alien. I am human. My body would have rejected his blood. Back home I was told that if something ever happened to me, it would be hard enough finding blood for me because I was blood type O, and that was living among humans! What he was talking about simply wasn't possible.<p>

"By blood transfusion you mean…" I said, feeling more confused by the second.

"The blood which runs through your veins is the same as mine," he said sounding irritated.

My mouth dropped open at his words. _Well, never mind then._

"You would not have lived otherwise," he said quietly before looking back down at the floor.

"Not only did my blood heal you, but it enhanced your human anatomy, as well," he said after a few seconds of silence. "Your strength, durability, and reflexes will continue to improve," he said proudly as he turned to face me.

He frowned slightly when he looked at my face. I felt like I was going to faint at any second. Honestly, what did he expect? This kind of news was a little overwhelming.

"Did you know what it would do to me? Am I going to turn blue?" I asked seriously. The corner of Ronan's mouth twitched at my last question like he wanted to laugh.

"I am almost certain you will not turn blue," he said slowly under his breath. "And truthfully, I did not know what would come to pass, but it was the only viable option. Clearly, I made the right choice," he said confidently as he watched me take it all in.

"So," I began quietly. "What's going to happen to me now? Am I going to wake up one day with arms like yours?" I asked, laughing nervously as I poked his arm. His face seemed to relax at my small jester.

"You need not worry about that," he said smirking. "Your appearance shall not change. Your strength will reach a plateau after the blood has penetrated every cell in your body. It should not be much longer now. Also, you should be pleased to know your body is no longer susceptible to poisons, toxins, or disease," he said casually, as if this wasn't a big deal at all.

"One of the many advantages of being a Kree," he said with gleaming eyes as he watched my mouth drop open once again.

"Wow," I whispered with shock. This was absolutely, fucking crazy. How was this even possible? Was I even considered human anymore? I continued sitting there with my head in my lap, trying to process everything he just told me, while Ronan sat quietly next to me.

I began trying to recall everything that happened since the night of the meteoroid, and a horrible thought crossed my mind. Only a couple of nights after I woke up from the crash, I began developing an attraction for Ronan. Was that because of his blood? Even at this very moment I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. It _has_ to be the blood. That would explain why I jumped so eagerly into bed with him. If that was true, did he know all along? Was this some trick to get me into bed with him?

But…

Maybe he didn't tell me because it would prove he did care for me after all. Why else would he save me and lie to me about it? He filled my body up with his _blood _for crying out loud. That went beyond personal – and that was not something to be taken lightly. Then again, this is a man who destroyed an entire planet and killed billions of people, so maybe I was expecting too much from him. Maybe he really was tricking me after all, and maybe I really was an idiot for believing he cared about me.

"Silvia," Ronan said quietly, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I turned my head to look at him and saw his brow furrow with worry as he examined my face. I noticed I was breathing quite heavily from the anger and betrayal I felt. Just looking at him made me feel even more furious.

"You took advantage of me," I said, jumping up from the bed in a heated fury.

"What?" He muttered as he stared at me with blatant confusion.

"Your blood somehow manipulated my feelings for you, didn't it? That's why you didn't tell me! You tricked me into your bed," I shouted, my voice breaking at the end with emotion. I angrily wiped my tears away as I turned to run to my room. I had to get away from him.

Before I could even take five steps, Ronan quickly wrapped his arm around me from behind, successfully pinning my arms to my sides.

"Don't fucking touch me!" I yelled as I struggled against his hold.

In response he tightened his grip around me, causing my back to dig into his armored chest. I could feel and hear his hot, angry breaths above my head as he pulled me tighter against him, and I felt myself become instantly frightened. When he began pulling me backwards to the bed I began kicking and screaming madly.

"No! Let go of me!" I screamed, my anger suddenly replaced with fear. A second later I was roughly pushed to the bed with Ronan pinning my arms at my sides.

"How dare you accuse me of such deceit? Do you truly believe your _feelings_ would have stopped me from forcing myself upon you?" He hissed vehemently into my face.

"I have no reason to manipulate your mind. I could take you right now if I wanted to, but I am not the monster you make me out to be. Your feelings for me are of your own doing. Do not be a fool, Silvia," he said seriously as his eyes burned angrily into mine.

"No," I said, shaking my head in defiance. "I gave you my virginity and I hardly even know you. That's not like me at all! It has to be the blood," I said stubbornly as I turned my face away from him.

"No," he said gruffly, letting go of my arms to grab my face with both hands.

"You desired me when you first laid eyes upon me. Do not deny it," he hissed as I slightly shook my head. "I could practically _smell_ your arousal that first night, even as you cried pitifully at my feet," he said smugly, his eyes narrowing slightly at the thought.

"Even now you desire me," he said confidently as his fingers trailed down my neck. My eyes naturally closed at his light touch and my head slightly tilted to the side to give him better access. _Damn him and his magical fingers_, I thought.

"Do not try to blame your attraction for me on my blood. Believe me when I say I have researched the subject, and it is not possible. I will not let you run from this, Silvia," he said in a low voice as he continued to stroke my neck.

I remained silent as I was unable to come up with something clever to say back. His fingers were really distracting me at the moment.

"Your body yearns for my touch," he whispered seductively. "When I kiss you here…" he said before pressing his lips to my lower neck. "…your heart skips a beat," he said as my breath hitched in my throat.

"And here…" he said as he lowered his mouth to my collarbone. "…I can feel you tighten around me," he said, his voice rough with lust.

Sure enough, I felt my core become achingly tight, causing me to shudder. I had to admit it was actually a major turn-on watching Ronan play my body like an instrument. He seemed to understand it better than I did myself. As I felt my panties become wet, I opened my eyes to look up at Ronan. He had his eyes closed and his nostrils were slightly flared as he deeply inhaled.

"Your sweet, wet slit is begging for me to ravage you," he said darkly as his eyes roamed my body. He was staring at me with burning desire, looking as if he wanted to rip my clothes off, and I was certain that was exactly what he intended on doing.

"No," I said slightly dazed. "I can't do this anymore, Ronan," I whispered, pulling myself out of his seductive trance. His mouth twitched in annoyance at my words.

"These mind games are driving me crazy. I know you care about me. You wouldn't have given me your blood if you didn't. Please, just tell me," I said quietly as my eyes began to tear up again. I watched as Ronan's mouth frowned with displeasure and his body became tense all over.

"No," he said in a stern voice as he grabbed my wrists again, pinning them by my head. "You are my prisoner and a _fool_ if you believe otherwise," he said becoming angry.

"No! That's bullshit! You didn't tell me what you did because you knew it would give your secret away. You _do_ care about me. You're just too afraid to admit it. You say you won't let _me_ run from this – well I'm not letting _you_ run either," I said loudly as Ronan glared at me from above.

"I am afraid of nothing and I do _not_ care for you. I'm warning you –," he growled, lowering his face so it was only inches away from mine. I could almost feel the heat radiating from his eyes as they burned into mine with fierce, biting rage.

"You are a lying coward!" I yelled angrily, interrupting him as tears escaped the corners of my eyes. Ronan roughly grabbed me by the front of my shirt and lifted me off the bed, holding me in front of him.

"Call me coward again, and you will be sorry," he hissed harshly into my face, causing me to cringe. I could feel the sleeves on my shirt beginning to rip from his tight grip.

"Why won't you admit it, Ronan? Everything you have done just proves I am more than a prisoner to you. I sleep in the room next to yours – you saved my life TWICE – you filled me with your _blood_ – oh, and I suppose you _fuck_ all your prisoners, too?" I said bitterly, shaking slightly from anger.

"Your desperate attempt to find affection where it does not exist is disgusting," he said, spitting the last word with contempt. I shook my head in disbelief at him.

"The only thing disgusting here is you, you fucking coward," I said bravely as his face contorted with rage. I honestly didn't know why I was provoking him, and I instantly regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.

His eyes widened, revealing his now darkening purple irises, and I unknowingly began to tremble with fear. He bared his black teeth at me in a furious scowl as he slung me by my shirt, instantly ripping it from my body in the process, and I went stumbling a few feet towards the bathroom. I quickly regained my balance and scampered into the bathroom, swiftly closing and locking the door behind me. Looking around the room, I could easily see there was nowhere for me to hide. When I reached the left corner of the bathroom I heard a loud, splintering crack as Ronan kicked the door down with his foot.

He stormed into the room and headed straight for me, glaring at me with his head tilted downwards, looking absolutely terrifying.

"Wait," I said panicking, holding my hands up in surrender. As he continued advancing towards me, I dashed to his side in an attempt to run past him, but was quickly grabbed by the back of my neck.

Immediately I began trying to escape, but his grip around my neck was painfully tight and unbreakable. He held me with his arm fully extended so I was unable to reach behind me to hit him. The fact that I couldn't see what he was doing was making me more terrified by the second.

"Let go of me! You've proved your point, Ronan," I grunted as his fingers dug into my neck. He began walking to the middle of the room, forcing me to stagger along with him, and a few seconds later I heard water running in the tub behind me.

"What are you doing?" I yelled as I tried harder to run away. His tight grip made it impossible for me to even turn my head a centimeter to the side. I really didn't like not being able to see him.

"You're scaring me! Let go," I cried, hearing only the sound of water filling the tub.

After a couple of minutes Ronan roughly grabbed me by my hair, causing me to yelp in pain, and directed me towards the tub. He growled frustratedly when I placed my feet against the side of the tub, preventing him from pulling me any closer.

"Stop it!" I cried as he pulled harder on my hair, causing me to lose my footing on the tub.

I saw that the tub was almost completely full as he pushed me forward, leaning the top half of my body over the edge of the tub. I stared wide eyed into the water as my hands clung desperately to the side, preventing me from falling over. I felt his grip tighten in my hair to the point where I was sure he was going to pull my hair out, and I began whimpering in fear. I could hear him breathing noisily behind me with suppressed rage as he continued holding me above the water by my hair.

"What are –," I began screaming, before my head was plunged into the water. My sinuses instantly burned as water forced its way into my nose, sending me into panic mode.

Immediately I began fighting and kicking like mad, but his grip on my hair prevented me from moving much. I knew it was futile to fight against Ronan, but my survival instincts were not going to let me give up. My fingernails clawed at his hand as hard as I could and immediately Ronan slammed my face into the bottom of the tub, causing me to gasp in pain. At that moment, I accidently inhaled water, instantly causing my body to cough to expel the unwanted fluid. As my lungs began burning for air, I was unexpectedly pulled up from the water by my hair. I began coughing loudly as the water worked its way out of my system and I took deep breaths as Ronan continued holding me above the water.

"Rona –," I yelled, before once again being plunged into the water.

Again, I struggled against him as hard as I could, but my attempts were useless. Even as I dug my nails into his hand for the second time, he only pushed my face harder into the metallic tub until it felt like my cheekbone was going to crack. As soon as I stopped digging into his hand, he stopped pushing down on my head. The only thing I could do was kick at him, but my legs were so short that they weren't even touching the floor as I was bent over the deep tub. I desperately pulled at his hand as my body began convulsing for air, and soon I heard myself begin to make unfamiliar groaning sounds. Right before I thought I couldn't hold my breath any longer, I was once again roughly pulled out of the water. I gasped loudly for air, inhaling greedily as soon as I was able to, and attempted to steady my breathing.

"Please st –," I begged, again being cut off as my head was forced under water.

I screamed underneath the water with renewed frustration, all the while wasting precious oxygen. After only twenty seconds or so my abdominal muscles began convulsing as I fought the urge to inhale. I groaned underneath the water in desperation and stopped moving to conserve the remaining oxygen in my body, but I knew I wouldn't last much longer. Five seconds later, when I was certain I was going to drown, Ronan pulled my head from the water. Again, I gasped for air and clung desperately to the edge of the tub, although I knew it wouldn't stop Ronan from pushing me under again. My heart was beating frantically in my chest, causing me to breathe faster than normal.

"No more, please," I cried as my face dangled above the water. I heard Ronan exhale angrily before he once again pushed me underwater.

This is it. I am going to die. Here in this bath tub, I am going to drown to death. Thoughts like these circulated my mind as I writhed underwater, fighting to keep my mouth and nose closed. My hands pushed against the bottom of the tub, but it did me no good. I was utterly helpless against Ronan. I was at his mercy. He could do whatever he wanted to me, and I couldn't stop him – even if my life depended on it. I had never felt so worthless in my life. He continued holding me under water well beyond the point when my body started convulsing, and I became convinced he really was going to drown me this time. I inhaled after I could no longer hold my breath, and instantly my lungs and throat felt like they were on fire. Almost immediately Ronan grabbed me by the back of my neck and lifted me from the water, forcing me onto my knees in front of the tub.

I coughed violently as water left my lungs and sinuses, and inhaled loudly at the first chance I got. The inside of my throat was horribly sore, making it feel like I had the worst case of strep throat. I continued gasping and panting for air as Ronan tightly held me by the back of my neck, preventing me from looking at him. When I was finally able to breathe normally again, Ronan tightly gripped my hair, instantly turning me into an emotional, hysterical mess.

I began sobbing harder than I ever had before in my life as Ronan pushed me back over the edge of the tub. It felt as if I had been reduced to nothing more than his toy to play with. His property. No, his _prisoner_. I wailed in utter defeat and humiliation, feeling as pathetic as I sounded. I continued crying uncontrollably as I waited for him to push me underwater, but it never came. He pulled me back and forced me onto my knees so I was kneeling next to him, and turned my head in his direction. As soon as I saw his face I began crying harder and closed my eyes in shame.

"Open your eyes," he demanded harshly as he kneeled next to me. I slowly opened my stinging, puffy eyes as my body shook with sobs I couldn't suppress.

"Please," I wailed desperately. I wasn't sure what I was asking for; I just knew I didn't want to go back into the water. I didn't want Ronan to be mad at me. I didn't want to be in _pain_ anymore.

His eyes scanned my face, his own reflecting no ounce of emotion whatsoever. He looked cold and calculating, as if he was completing an important task. His eyes lowered to my trembling lips, and he quickly pushed me away from him, causing me to fall backwards onto my side.

"Leave, now," he said in a deep voice, standing up so he towered over me. I lied on the cold floor in just my bra and shorts, crying and shaking in relief when I realized he was done tormenting me.

"Get out!" He shouted angrily when I didn't move.

I hurriedly began to stand up, only to fall back down to my hands and knees when I slipped on the wet tile. I continued crawling away from him until I could regain my footing, and quickly ran to my room and slammed the door behind me.

He is wrong.

He _**is**_ a monster.

And I am an idiot.

I sat in my bed and stared at the wall in silence, feeling completely stupid for believing Ronan would admit his feelings for me. I truly was desperate for affection. That was the one thing he was actually right about, and I should have listened to him. Why did I have to go and provoke him like that? I should have known better. Even after today, I couldn't bring myself to hate him. I knew he was trying to prove I meant nothing to him, but if that were true, then he should have killed me.

What was _wrong_ with me? Why was I still trying to find the good in him? He was cruel. Perverse. Unforgiving. Vicious. Dangerous.

I should hate him, but I didn't. I couldn't.

It felt like I had been sitting on that bed for hours when Nebula walked in carrying my dinner. She looked at me curiously as she placed the tray on my nightstand and promptly walked over to my side of the bed, stopping in front of me.

"What happened?" She asked with an annoyed sigh. I looked up at her from the bed and saw her cock her head to the side in interest.

"He told you, didn't he?" She asked seriously, her voice growing quieter. I nodded my head slightly. She quickly sat down next to me on the bed and turned her body towards mine.

"Tell me," she said urgently as I stared straight ahead.

"He gave me his blood," I said shakily, unable to hide the sadness I felt. I turned to watch Nebula's reaction, expecting her to look surprised or repulsed, but she appeared more annoyed than anything else.

"I should have thought of that," she muttered irritably. Her eyes narrowed slightly in thought as she looked at me.

"I would not speak of this to anyone tomorrow," she said seriously. "In fact, do not mention this ever again," she said quietly.

"Tomorrow… what's happening tomorrow?" I asked, my brow furrowing with confusion. Nebula rolled her eyes at my question.

"He really doesn't tell you anything does he?" She asked in a sarcastic voice. "We are going to Kree-Lar," she said tiredly. "It's the capitol of the Kree Empire," she added quickly when she noticed my puzzled expression.

"Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day," she said unhappily, obviously not looking forward to tomorrow at all. I watched her walk out of the room and felt myself become sad all over again.

I was going to an alien planet tomorrow. A planet filled with other blue-skinned aliens just like Ronan. Great. Even though I had been living on a spaceship for a month, it still felt bizarre to think I was going to another _planet_. What would my parents think right now? Oh, no. My parents. They probably think I'm dead. Here I am worrying about myself when they are probably back home still looking for me, waiting for me to walk through the front door at any minute. I walked into the bathroom and absently began stripping my clothes off, feeling suddenly depressed about everything in my life.

I was falling for a man who treated me like shit, I was probably never going to see my parents again, and I had absolutely no control over my life whatsoever. For the tiniest moment I thought I might have a chance at happiness, but Ronan quickly demolished that dream. I was like his little puppet and he was the puppeteer, pulling on my strings and directing me which way to go, and I couldn't do a thing to stop him.

Tears began to cloud my vision as I stepped into the shower, and I knew it was only a matter of seconds before my emotional hysteria caught up to me. My throat slowly began to tighten up as I fought back the screams of rage, defeat, and humiliation that begged to be heard. As the lump in my throat became more constricting, my stomach began to form a knot as well, and at that moment, I reached my breaking point. Almost out of nowhere, I screamed at the top of my lungs as if I had gone insane. It was a long, primal scream of loss and sadness, and it was terrifying to listen to. As the last air left my lungs, I inhaled loudly and immediately began wailing with a desperation I had never heard before. It felt as if my heart was breaking in two.

I leaned against the wall with my forehead resting on my arm, and listened to the sound of my angry sobs echo around the shower. The warm water from the showerhead rained down on me, thankfully keeping my face clear from the snot and tears that should have been there. I probably looked more pathetic than a lost puppy in the rain. I hated that Ronan could do this to me. I should be stronger than this.

Suddenly, I felt large, warm fingers tenderly brush my arm, causing me to gasp with surprise. My eyes instantly opened and I saw Ronan standing naked only a foot away from me. I backed away from him into the corner of the shower and mustered up what little courage I had left.

"Get out of here!" I shouted, sounding braver than I felt. I looked up into his face and saw him staring at me with clear disappointment. His mouth slightly turned down as he watched me tremble with fear before him.

"Silvia," he said softly as he stepped closer. I heard myself whimper before I could stop myself, and this caused Ronan to stop and sigh in a frustrated manner.

"I am sorry about earlier today," he said seriously, slowly stepping closer to me. I began furiously shaking my head and held my hands up as he continued to approach me.

"No, Ronan. You can't just do whatever you want to me and expect me to forgive you," I said, my voice shaking with unexpected fury. "You've hurt me so _much_," I said, closing my eyes as my voice broke.

"I know," he said seriously, staring down at me with heavy eyes. He took another step closer and I immediately held my arms out to keep him from getting any closer to me.

"No! Go away! I've had enough of your lies!" I shouted at him angrily as I pushed against his torso. He continued advancing upon me, easily pushing past my weak barrier, and I began crying with renewed fear and anger.

"Get AWAY from me! No! S-stop," I cried desperately as he gently grabbed my face with both of his hands and tilted my head backwards. Through teary eyes I saw him staring at me with a look I had only seen once, a look of regret.

"I am sorry," he said softly, his brow furrowed and his face remorseful.

"Liar," I cried as I slapped him across the face. His facial expression remained the same, as if I had never even hit him, and this caused me to become even more furious.

I began punching and slapping him as hard as I could while I cried loudly with frustration. Ronan let go of my face and remained silent as I continuously hit him, my sobs growing louder with each strike. He closed his eyes and stood in front of me like I was his living punching bag, and I wondered why he was allowing this to happen. When I began growing tired and my hits became less often, Ronan opened his eyes to look down at me. I could detect the smallest amount of pity in his eyes as he watched me drop my arms down in defeat. His hands gently cupped my face once again so I was looking up at him. He slowly leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine, and closed his eyes.

"I am sorry, Silvia," he said quietly, his low voice barely audible in the shower.

"I know," I whispered sadly as I leaned into his chest from exhaustion.

I could not hate him.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Surprise! I was able to update much faster than expected.<strong>

**I know that was a little sad... but we all know Ronan is not the mushy, feely type :( To say these two are complicated is an understatement. ****In case you missed it, Silvia is going to see where Ronan works - Kree-Lar! Should be interesting.**

_**UPDATE: I am sooo thankful for the reviews! I'm really happy everyone picked up on the whole Stockholm Syndrome case here. Silvia isn't behaving how you or I would in this situation - obviously, because we haven't been through what she has. Now as far as her forgiving him - technically she hasn't forgiven him. I left it off with "I know" for a reason. Things are not just going to be all sunshine and daises. **__**I think the next chapter will clear this up for many of you.**_

**Reviews are always welcome! Thanks for being so supportive :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter song: Lie Awake by Angel Snow**_

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><p>As I leaned into Ronan, I couldn't help but wonder how exactly I had gotten to this point in my life. I had always considered myself a strong woman, and certainly never would have tolerated the type of abuse Ronan inflicted upon me today from any other man. I knew I should run away as far as possible, yet I remained leaning into him, ironically being comforted by his strong, warm body. There was something about him that pulled me in and kept me tangled in his web.<p>

He was my pain. My ecstasy. My existence.

And without him, I was alone.

When my skin began to prune, I turned around and twisted the handle to the showerhead, successfully cutting the water off. Without looking at Ronan, I slowly stepped out of the shower and headed towards the towel cabinet. I could hear his heavy footsteps closely behind me as I wrapped myself in a towel and continued walking over to the sink.

The silence between us was uncomfortable and awkward, and immediately I was reminded of my previous boyfriends and the fights I had with them. When I made that connection, it became obvious that the tension Ronan and I were experiencing now was no different than what a couple would feel after an argument. I guess in a way, we were in a relationship – however twisted it may be – and we just had our first major fight.

As I started to brush my teeth, I could see Ronan in my peripheral vision, closely watching me from the side. The only sound that filled the room was the sound of me brushing my teeth and Ronan's watchfulness was beginning to make me nervous. I appreciated the fact that he apologized for what he did, but I was still upset and needed time to move on. The last thing I needed was him hovering over me watching my every move.

After brushing my teeth, I walked by him still avoiding his gaze, and entered my bedroom. I slipped under the silky covers on my bed and watched as Ronan sat down next to me. As my eyes drifted to his face, I saw him staring at me with such intensity I had to look away because it honestly felt like he was trying to read my mind.

"You cannot stay mad at me forever," he said in a low, serious voice.

"I'm not mad, Ronan. I'm _hurt_. Apologies can't fix everything," I said with a sigh. He narrowed his eyes in frustration as he glanced around the room and appeared to be at a loss for words.

"I do not know what you want from me," he hissed quietly before looking back at me.

"You do know," I whispered as I fiddled with my bed sheets.

Ronan growled with annoyance and stood up from the bed, causing me to look up. He glared down at me with irritation written all over his face and continued to slowly pace next to me.

"Your presence is quite inconvenient," he muttered as he continued walking back and forth beside my bed.

"If I'm so inconvenient, then let me go," I said loudly, causing him to stop and look at me seriously.

"No," he said almost immediately, which caused me to cock my eyebrow at him. He glanced away irritably before continuing his pacing next to me.

"Tomorrow –" he began loudly.

"Kree-Lar. I know. Nebula told me," I said under my breath. Ronan stopped and turned to glare at me, clearly annoyed with me interrupting him. I motioned with my hands for him to continue, which caused him to further narrow his eyes at me.

"Tomorrow you will speak to no one, unless instructed to or asked a question. You will stay by my side at all times. If asked, you will tell them you are my attendant," he said in a commanding tone.

"But I thought I was your prisoner," I said defiantly as I looked up at him.

"You are, but unless you wish to spend your time in the dungeons, I would refrain from using that term. The Kree do not treat prisoners too kindly," he said seriously.

"Great," I said uneasily as I pulled the sheets up to my chin. Ronan sat down next to me and leaned in closer to me.

"Follow my instructions and all will go according to plan," he said as his hand inched towards my thigh.

I rolled away from him onto my side, not at all in the mood to be touched. I felt him stand up from the bed, and a moment later I watched as he walked into his bedroom without another word or glance in my direction.

The next morning I was shaken awake by Nebula who was standing over me, holding what appeared to be a mask in front of my face. It looked similar to the type of mask I wore once when I went paintballing, and the thought of that almost made me smile as I was reminded of happier days.

"You must wear this when we are outside of the ship, although, technically you don't need it," she said with a smirk.

"If I don't need it then why do I have to wear it?" I asked tiredly as I rubbed my eyes.

"Because Ronan has ordered you to," she said cocking her head to the side. She tossed the mask in my lap and began walking towards the door.

"You have thirty minutes to be ready. Don't be late or else you risk angering Ronan," she said over her shoulder. I was already making my way to the bathroom as the door closed behind her.

Within thirty minutes I was showered and dressed in my skin-tight, one-piece suit and tall, black boots. As I was trying to figure out how to tighten the mask around my face, my door opened and Ronan briskly walked into the room. His eyes wrinkled with amusement as they roamed up and down my body, and I felt my stomach begin to tighten with unexpected nervousness. When he stopped in front of me, he gently grabbed me by my shoulders and turned me around so my back was to him. His hands began working on the straps on my mask, pulling the device tighter to my face until it made a hissing sound, and right away I felt oxygen begin to flow through the vent. Goosebumps began to spread across my skin as his large fingers gently grazed the back of my neck, pushing my hair over my shoulder.

I turned around to face him again and saw him staring down at me, but his expression appeared to be more serious than it had been before.

"You will not remove this mask until I instruct you to do so. Do not speak with anyone unless spoken to, and do _not_ leave my side. Do you understand?" He asked seriously as he tilted his head down at me.

"Yes, I understand," I said tiredly, my voice mechanically altered by the mask. Ronan nodded his head and turned to walk out of the room, motioning with his hand for me to follow him.

As we maneuvered our way through the complex hallways of the ship, Nebula appeared and walked at my side in silence. My eyes never left Ronan's back as we continued walking through the dimly-lit ship, and I truly wished he would turn around and reassure me that everything would be fine. My stomach was in knots as we approached a large door, making me feel like I was going to vomit at any second, and cold sweat began to trickle down the back of my neck. I began to nervously fidget with my hands out of habit as we came closer to the door that led to my new home.

"Pull yourself together, Terran," Nebula said quietly as we came to a stop. I watched as Ronan's head jerked to the side as if he had heard her, but he quickly looked forward as the door to outside opened up.

Immediately white light filled the hallway, which caused me to squint my eyes because I was not accustomed to such brightness. Ronan continued walking forwards, and I hesitantly followed behind him as I began frantically blinking my eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness which seemed to engulf me. As we stepped through the door, my mouth dropped open as I took in my surroundings, and I was grateful that the lower half of my face remained hidden behind my mask.

We were walking down a long, metal ramp and lined along both sides were large men wearing obvious military uniforms. Their bodies were covered with shiny, silver armor that seemed to cling to their skin and on their heads they wore bright green helmets which reminded me of ancient Spartan soldiers. They wore matching green armor along their shoulders, wrists, and around their groin area, making it appear as if they were wearing green underwear. They were large and blue like Ronan, but a few of them had skin the same color as mine which was really confusing.

I looked into the large crowd of people which now surrounded us and sure enough, the majority of the Kree had Caucasian skin. I also noticed that many of them were not as tall as Ronan, nor were they as large in frame, but they were still clearly much bigger than me. The Kree began shouting and cheering Ronan's name as if he were a hero, and I watched with awe as they gazed upon him with apparent love and devotion. Seeing him being admired by so many left me feeling confused, but also strangely proud. The crowd parted as we continued to walk towards a white, dome-shaped building, and I could feel their eyes on me the entire time, undoubtedly asking the same question I had been asking myself for a month – _what was I doing here? _

My eyes remained glued to Ronan's back as we made our way into the building, because I was too afraid to look anywhere else. The sound of the cheering crowd disappeared as heavy doors closed behind us, and now the only sound that filled my ears were our footsteps echoing off the metallic walls. Guards at the end of the hallway saw Ronan approaching and immediately opened the doors for us. As we walked into the large room, I saw a long, impressive stone table, and seated at it were dozens of important-looking Kree. Most of them were blue and wearing red uniforms, but a few of them were Caucasian and were seated at the end of the table.

Upon Ronan's entrance, everyone in the room stood up from their chairs and turned to face him, except for the man sitting at the head of the table. The man had blue skin like Ronan and on his head he had four black lines of paint drawn down his forehead, with two stripes on each side, and one across each cheekbone. The red, thick robes he wore appeared to be extremely heavy and had a regal quality about them. On his left shoulder there was a golden brooch which connected his outer robe to the red armor he wore upon his shoulders, giving him the appearance of a king.

As we approached the table I noticed many of the men were now staring at Nebula and I curiously, obviously trying to figure out how we were connected to Ronan. The man at the head of the table lazily turned his head to look at us and raised his eyebrows skeptically at Nebula and I as we came closer. Ronan stopped within a few feet of the man and knelt down on one knee, while he held his hammer in his right hand.

"Imperial Minister Hal-Dan," Ronan said, lowering his head as a sign of respect.

The Imperial Minister motioned with his hand for him to stand up, and Ronan quickly moved towards the empty chair to his right. Judging by his position at the table, I concluded that Ronan must hold an important position in his government. As he began to sit down, he made a hand signal at Nebula, and she immediately tugged on my arm and led me to the wall behind Ronan, where we stood in silence and watched the men converse.

"Ronan, we are pleased by your return. We heard a group of outlaws momentarily interrupted your plans. We were _quite_ worried," Hal-Dan said in a mocking tone. I could not see Ronan's face, but I could tell from his body language that he was not amused by the Imperials' snide remark.

"They were treacherous scum and ran like vermin the second I came in possession of the orb. It was a pity they escaped Xandar before its' obliteration, however, I am certain they will show their cowardice faces again, and when that time comes, they will experience Kree justice once and for all," he said as he placed his hammer upon the table in front of him.

_Wait, so that man who offered to help me – oh, what was his name – Peter? He was alive after all? _I suddenly felt ten times lighter, as if a heavy weight of guilt had been lifted off my shoulders.

Every man, including the Imperial Minister, eyed the purple gem in Ronan's hammer with curiosity but I also detected unease and hesitation in many of their faces.

"What is it?" Imperial Hal-Dan said, intrigued as he looked between the gem and Ronan.

"The infinity stone," Ronan replied with obvious pride. The table erupted with murmurings and whispers at the news, and Hal-Dan straightened himself up as he looked back at the gem.

"And you believe you should continue to possess it?" Hal-Dan said quietly, causing the men at the table to become silent and stare at the two men.

"Yes," Ronan said in a low voice. "As Supreme Accuser, it is my right to possess such a weapon, is it not? A weapon that evokes fear simply upon utterance of its name belongs in my hands, because I am the one responsible for enforcing the laws of our people. A great responsibility such as this requires a great weapon," he said with confidence.

Many of the men nodded their heads in agreement as Ronan finished speaking, including the Imperial Minister, although he didn't look too happy about it.

"Yes, very well," Hal-Dan said as he looked around the table. "And what of them?" He asked, pointing his finger in our direction. "Why have you brought outsiders to our capital?"

"They contributed to the destruction of Xandar, and thus, have proven themselves worthy of serving me," Ronan said as he stared directly at Hal-Dan.

Although I could not see the look Ronan was giving the Imperial Minister, I could tell it must have been extremely intimidating because Hal-Dan looked away after only a few seconds. The Imperial's gaze drifted over to me and his eyebrows furrowed with confusion as he took in my appearance.

"You," he said pointing at me. "Come here, now," he said in a commanding tone. Nebula nudged me in the back and forced me forward, and I unwillingly began making my way towards him.

As I approached Hal-Dan's right, I hesitantly looked down at Ronan and noticed his eyes were narrowed with suspicion as he looked back and forth between the Imperial and me. When I stopped in front of Hal-Dan, I copied Ronan and went down to one knee and lowered my head. Hal-Dan's hand motioned for me to stand up, and immediately I stood up and locked my eyes on the floor, too scared to look him in the eyes. I didn't know what the hell I was doing here.

"Remove your mask. I wish to see the face of Ronan's _worthy_ attendant," he said as he eyed me up and down with mistrust. My gaze drifted to Ronan's face as I remembered he instructed me to only remove the mask when he ordered me to.

"I assure you the air is safe to breathe within these walls," Imperial Hal-Dan said with slight annoyance. Ronan stiffly nodded his head once in my direction, and I quickly began loosening the straps on my mask.

The second my mask was removed, Hal-Dan elevated his brow and his mouth turned down as if he was genuinely surprised. I slowly looked around the table and saw the men staring at me with similar looks, obviously intrigued and roused by my presence. One light-skinned man at the end of the table was giving me a wolfish grin which instantly made my cheeks feel as if they were on fire. I nervously looked down at the floor and began playing with my hands behind my back.

"Do not be embarrassed, girl. You have managed to fluster my finest men, and that in itself is a great accomplishment. I can see why Ronan wishes to keep you around," Hal-Dan said with amusement.

"And what exactly will she be _attending_ to, Ronan?" Hal-Dan asked seriously with a hint of suggestiveness. Several men at the table sniggered at his question, and I felt my cheeks burn even hotter in response.

Ronan looked at the men who laughed and they instantly quieted down.

"She will serve as my translator," he said curtly. _What the hell could I possibly translate?_ It was very hard at that moment to maintain a neutral facial expression.

"Now if that is all, I have important matters to attend to," Ronan said as he looked at Hal-Dan with clear agitation.

"There will be a feast held tonight in your honor. We look forward to seeing you two there," Hal-Dan said with a smirk as Ronan stood up from the table.

Nebula and I followed closely behind Ronan as we made our way out of the room and into the large, ominous hallway. I began sliding the mask over my face as we approached the doors that led to outside.

"Forget the damn mask," Ronan said heatedly over his shoulder, causing me to stop and stare with confusion. Nebula smirked at me as she continued walking forward, obviously amused by Ronan's outburst.

When we exited the building, the large, excited crowd once again began chanting Ronan's name. I saw many of them whisper into each other's ears as they stared at me, but I pretended not to see them. We continued walking until a small ship, about the size of a car, lowered onto the ground before us. There were two seats in the front and back, but one of the seats in the front was already occupied by a pilot. Ronan sat down in the passenger seat, while Nebula and I jumped into the back seat.

As we ascended above the crowd and well into the air, I looked outside my window and gazed upon my new home, Kree-Lar. Everywhere I looked I saw metallic structures and dome-shaped buildings. There didn't appear to be any vegetation whatsoever, or water for that matter. Everything about this place was unnatural and extremely different from Earth, but there was something uniquely beautiful about it. Although it lacked nature, its impressive, modern architecture and technology left me feeling amazed nonetheless. It looked exactly how I imagined an alien planet to look, except better.

Our pilot directed us through the sky, zooming past other ships at speeds I couldn't even imagine, until we reached another large, dome-shaped building which was perched atop a stone hill. Its round, green roof glimmered in the sunlight, giving it the appearance of a beautiful, giant jewel.

When we exited the ship, guards were already waiting on both sides to escort us into the building. Two of the men walked ahead and opened the double doors for us, which led into a beautiful white hallway. The floors and walls were made of a gleaming, white stone which strongly resembled marble. We continued walking ahead while the guards remained posted by the door, which I was grateful for because their presence was extremely daunting.

The hallway opened up into a two-story room, with us being on the second floor, and in the middle there was a circular opening, guarded by stone railing which overlooked a courtyard. The hallway we were standing in circled the entire upper floor and served as a balcony as well. There were beautifully carved stairs in front of us that led into the courtyard below, but Ronan continued walking past the staircase and stopped at the first metallic door on his right.

"Nebula," he said motioning at the door with his hand. Nebula swiftly walked into the room and closed the door behind her. He continued walking around the circular hallway, and I followed behind him, becoming restless with curiosity.

"What is this place?" I asked as I scanned the large, round building. I leaned over the railing and looked down into the space below, and saw comfortable looking chairs and couches set up in a square formation.

"My home," he said without turning around. My eyes widened with surprise because I honestly wasn't expecting him to have such a beautiful house. This place was the complete opposite of his dark, fearsome ship.

He stopped in front of a door on the other side of the room, opposite from Nebula's door, and motioned with his hand for me to enter. I pushed the lever of the handle down and immediately the door slid open and disappeared into the door frame. As I stepped through, Ronan followed in behind me and the door quickly closed behind us on its own.

"You did well today," Ronan said to my back as I gawked at my new room.

"Hmm," I replied, too focused on my surroundings to pay attention to him.

The walls and floors were made of the same beautiful, white stone which made the room appear bright and cheerful. In the middle of the room there was a large window which overlooked the city, and filled the space with natural light. The king-sized bed was covered in silky light-grey sheets and the elaborate frame was carved out of a smooth, grey stone, and I instantly had the urge to rub my hand across it. As my fingers traced the impossibly soft stone, I noticed a door in front of me which I was sure led to a bathroom. I smiled with delight as I entered the room and saw a beautiful en suite bathroom, complete with a white, marble bathtub and shower.

"I take it you are happy with your accommodations," Ronan said over my shoulder, apparently agitated by my silence.

I turned around and smiled at him, completely forgetting that I was supposed to be mad at him. Ronan's eyes flickered with surprise at my open expression of happiness, and I immediately looked down at the floor and forced myself not to smile.

"Yes," I muttered quietly as my face remained down. He grabbed my chin and gently tilted my head backwards and stepped closer to me.

"You are a stubborn woman," he said in a serious tone, but his eyes gleamed with amusement. I jerked my head away from his hand, which only caused him to further smirk at me.

"My servants will provide you with more suitable garments and any other items you might require. At sun down I will return to retrieve you and escort you to the feast," he said looking down at me. _I didn't want to go to some stupid dinner party with a bunch of arrogant jerks. _I started to open my mouth to protest but he quickly interrupted me.

"There will be no discussion. Do not argue with me," he said in a deep voice before walking out of my room. I paced around the room pouting unhappily until a group of strange looking people walked in.

There were five of them and they were dressed in heavy, hooded black robes which reached the floor and gave them the appearance of monks. Their pallor made them appear sickly and the texture of their skin was bumpy and scarred. As I looked into their faces which were marked with black symbols, I sensed that these creatures were much older than I was, and they honestly gave me the creeps.

Three of them carried large handfuls of fabric, which I assumed were my new clothes, while the others carried an assortment of vials. The ones with the clothes walked over to the closet by my bed and began hanging the beautifully tailored clothes in order of color. From where I stood I could see dresses of blue, gold, and grey, each beautifully unique and extremely modern looking. There were also several pairs of shirts and pants, mostly grey and blue, but they were made of a thicker fabric and appeared more stylish than the clothes I was wearing now.

Two of the strange creatures walked over to me and one began unzipping my one-piece suit in the back, while the other removed it from my body. I stood there with wide eyes, unsure of what to do, and looked around the room uneasily. When I was completely nude, they led me into the bathroom where another one had already drawn a bath. I cautiously stepped into the water as I looked around at the female-like creatures, hoping I wasn't about to be killed in some strange sacrifice.

To my surprise, I felt hands begin to wash my hair and I purred as I felt their long nails scrape against my scalp. I closed my eyes and let my body relax as the odd servants continued washing my body. When they were done, I was guided out of the tub and led to the center of my room, where they began rubbing clear liquids over my body and soon I smelled like a bouquet of roses. They then began dressing me in a blue, fitted gown, while one of the servants gently braided my hair. One stood in front of me and held a black stick in front of my face, and carefully brushed two lines at the corner of each eye and on my bottom lid.

By the time they were done, the sun was beginning to set and I felt myself slowly becoming anxious about tonight's event. When the servants left, I walked over to the mirror in the corner of the room and gasped as I took in my appearance. It had been a long time since I had seen my reflection, and for a second I did not recognize myself in the mirror. My skin was creamier and paler than I remembered, and the blue in my eyes was now speckled with bright purple. To anyone else it might not be that noticeable, but to me it looked as if my eyes were glowing purple.

The black markings at the corner of my eyes gave me the appearance of an ancient Egyptian – well, if they happened to be blonde and pale. My hair was pulled up in an elaborate array of braids, but I could not see what it looked like in the back. My dress was short-sleeved and the shoulders of it pointed out slightly, making me appear stronger than I really was. It was modest in comparison to gowns back home, but it was skin-tight and clung to my body like an extra layer of skin, only accentuating my curves. Thankfully there was no cut in the front and the fabric reached the floor, so I didn't feel like a tramp wearing it. It was sophisticated, yet sexy – although, I don't think it was meant to be _this _sexy.

Ronan walked in as I stood in front of the mirror, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw me. His mouth slightly parted as his eyes scanned my body, and I instinctively looked down at the floor as I became embarrassed. He walked over to me and grabbed my face, and began unexpectedly kissing me with burning, hot passion.

"Mmmff – schtoppp," I mumbled against his lips as I pushed against his chest. I wiped my mouth and saw his black paint come off on my hand. He stepped back and looked down at me impatiently, his eyes still burning bright with desire.

"I'm not ready for that," I said feeling slightly flustered from Ronan's lack of control. I walked over to the window and looked out into the city which was beginning to glow with lights.

"When, then?" He asked impatiently as he stepped closer to me.

"When I trust you again," I said quietly, still facing the window. I heard Ronan exhale angrily in response.

"Come. It is time to go," he said quietly behind me. I turned around and saw him frowning at me, clearly unhappy with my decision to shut him out. I followed him when he turned around and walked at his side as we entered the hallway.

"So, how do I explain to these people that I'm your translator? What if they ask me to translate something?" I asked nervously.

"You do not need to explain yourself. If they ask, tell them I have prohibited you from discussing it. If they have a problem with that, they can speak with me," he said in a deep voice as we continued walking down the hall.

"What about my mask?" I asked confusedly as we exited the doors to the terrace. Ronan glanced down at me and grimaced with displeasure.

"They have seen your face. It does not matter now," he muttered irritably as we stepped inside the ship. Tonight Ronan was flying the ship instead of a pilot, so it was just me and him inside the tiny craft.

"What should I tell them when they ask me where I met you?" I said after a few seconds of silence.

"Knowhere. That is where we picked you up," he said looking over at me, smirking at my confusion.

"Nowhere…" I mumbled as I stared at him frustratedly.

"The name of the place is called Knowhere. We picked you up, you complied and supplied us with information which successfully led to Xandar's destruction. That is _all_ they need to know," he said, his voice laced with warning.

We didn't talk the rest of the way there.

When we arrived at our destination, I walked behind Ronan with my head slightly tilted down to avoid the attention of others. We walked into a large, elegant room, filled with at least fifty people who smiled and clapped as Ronan entered. In the middle of the room there was a long, wide table filled with decadent foods and pitchers of wine.

"Do not wander far from me," he said before he walked towards a group of people.

I slowly walked towards the table of food, unfortunately aware of every single stare I was receiving. I picked up a round, metal plate and filled it with an assortment of rich foods. My hands eagerly clasped one of the large pitchers of wine and filled my goblet almost to the brim. The room was filled with conversations and laughter, but no one approached me, so I walked over to a large pillar and leaned against it as I began eating my food and drinking my wine. After a few minutes, I saw a white Kree man heading in my direction, and I immediately recognized him.

He was the man who smiled suggestively at me earlier today. Now that I was actually looking at him, he was quite handsome. He had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, and the fact that he looked human made my heart beat with excitement.

As he got closer he smiled at me, and I saw his familiar wide smile and cute dimples. I blushed as I looked away and took another sip from my goblet. The wine here was absolutely delicious, and making it a lot easier for me to ignore the stares I was getting from the men and women around me.

"Hello," he said as he propped his hand against the pillar by my face. He was not as tall as Ronan, but he was still extremely tall.

"Hi," I replied quietly, feeling nervous by his close proximity. I took another sip from my goblet, hoping the wine would help me relax.

"What is your name?" He asked with a smile.

"Tell me yours first," I said smiling back. _OK, maybe I should slow down on the wine. _

"I am Mac-Varr. I work in the Imperial Minister's office. Now I must know your name, sweet girl," he said flirtingly as he leaned in closer. As my cheeks began to grow warm, his smile grew wider and his eyes wrinkled with delight.

"Silvia," I replied shyly before looking around the room.

As I brought my almost-empty goblet up to my lips, I saw Ronan staring unhappily at me from across the room, and I instantly straightened up and looked away. Mac-Varr glanced behind him to see what caused my change in behavior, and he turned back around and smiled at me again.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" He asked, unphased by Ronan's watchfulness.

"Sure, but I can't go far," I said quietly as I carefully avoided Ronan's gaze. Mac-Varr held out his arm and I linked mine through his like I had seen in old-fashioned movies.

He led me out onto the stone terrace where others had gathered as well. Several women turned to look at me and proceeded to whisper to their friends as if I weren't even there. It felt like high school all over again. I sighed frustratedly as we continued walking towards the railing, and Mac-Varr gave me a curious look when we stopped.

"Many are wondering how a beautiful creature such as yourself ended up in Ronan's hands. Jealous women, especially," he said with a smirk as he looked at a woman to my right.

She was tall, beautiful, and fierce, and she was looking right at me. Her long, black hair flowed straight down her back, and I noticed she was wearing military-type clothing instead of a dress. Her toned arms and legs could clearly be seen through the tight clothing she was wearing, and I honestly admired her strong physique. I looked back at Mac-Varr when I realized I had been staring for too long.

"Who is she?" I asked timidly as I nodded my head in her direction. Mac-Varr glanced in her direction and smirked at me with amusement.

"She was an interest of Ronan's for a long time. Her name is Jul-Linn, and she is not one you want to mess with sweet Silvia, especially after how things ended between the two," he said chuckling before he took a sip of his wine.

"What happened?" I asked curiously. He paused and looked at me before smiling.

"Someone was unfaithful," he said quietly into my ear. I felt my heart sink at his words as I looked back at the woman who was still staring at me intently. I winced as my stomach suddenly began cramping horribly.

"I think I'm ready to leave," I said quietly as I rubbed my lower stomach and began walking away.

"It would be my pleasure to escort you home," he said, quickly walking up to my side.

"OK," I said uneasily. "I don't know if Ronan will let me go with you, though," I whispered as I looked up at him. He gave me a devious smile before holding out his arm for me again.

"I do not think it will be an issue," he said winking at me before we walked back into the room.

As we approached Ronan's group, I looked up and saw him staring at me and Mac-Varr with forced disinterest. He looked at my arm linked with Mac-Varr's and I noticed his nostrils slightly flared and his eyes burned with barely contained rage.

"Ronan, if you don't mind I am going to escort Silvia home. She is not feeling too well," he said politely with a smile. Ronan glared at Mac-Varr with such hatred I wondered if I should just tell him to forget it, but Mac-Varr continued to smile at Ronan as if he didn't notice at all.

"Unless you are afraid something might happen to her?" Mac-Varr asked worriedly, but I got the impression he was mocking Ronan.

Ronan narrowed his eyes at Mac-Varr before he looked around and noticed people were beginning to stare at us.

"No. Take her," Ronan said in a rough voice as he looked down at me with contempt. He turned back around and continued speaking with his colleagues as if I weren't even there. _What the fuck was his problem? _

Mac-Varr smiled down at me reassuringly as I stared at him with confusion, and he quickly led me outside to his ship. We were on our way back to Ronan's house and I couldn't shake the feeling that Mac-Varr was hiding something from me. That exchange between him and Ronan left me feeling extremely anxious.

"What was that?" I asked looking over at Mac-Varr. He glanced in my direction and grinned mischievously, causing me to wrinkle my eyebrows with concern.

"Ronan and I…. let's just say we have history, as I'm sure you will soon find out," he said smiling over at me.

"What? Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have left with you if I knew it would make him mad," I said, becoming more puzzled by the second. We landed on Ronan's terrace at that moment, which allowed Mac-Varr to avoid answering my question.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Silvia," he said winking at me.

I glared at him as I stepped out of his ship and walked angrily towards the house, where guards already had the doors opened for me. I stomped past them and headed straight for my bedroom, wincing as the cramping in my stomach became more painful. I could feel a wetness forming in between my legs and I began frantically pulling my gown off of me as soon as I entered my bedroom. When my gown was fully removed, I entered the bathroom and looked down, and sure enough there was blood smeared along my inner thighs.

I immediately began taking off my soiled panties and threw them in the sink. As I began washing the blood out of them before they stained, Ronan abruptly walked into my bathroom, fuming with rage. When he saw the blood smeared between my thighs his eyes grew wide with horrible rage and fear, and he rushed forward and grabbed me by my upper arms.

"What did he do to you? I will kill him!" He growled furiously into my face as he held me.

"What? No! He didn't do anything. It's just my period, Ronan," I said, feeling absolutely mortified.

"Will you get out of here? I don't want you to see this," I said as I pulled at his hands. His look of anger was slowly replaced with utter confusion as he eyed me up and down, and he let go of my arms.

"What is happening to you?" He asked sounding slightly worried as I walked over to the shower.

"It's my menstrual cycle. It's normal, don't worry," I said tiredly as I turned the water on. Ronan continued to stare at me skeptically as I removed my bra and stepped into the shower.

"How often does this occur?" He asked seriously as he picked up my panties in the sink and inspected them closely.

"Will you STOP touching those," I yelled at him from inside the shower. He glanced at me irritably before dropping the panties back down into the sink.

"How often does this occur, Silvia?" He asked more forcefully as he walked over to the shower. He eyed me curiously as I washed the blood off in between my thighs.

"Every month. It lasts for about 5 days, sometimes more, sometimes less," I said quietly as I finished up and turned the water off. I jumped out and grabbed a towel from the cabinet, and hurriedly walked over to the toilet paper.

Ronan closely watched me as I made a small pad out of toilet paper, and followed me into the bedroom as I picked up a new pair of panties. As I began sliding the panties up my legs, I let my towel drop and Ronan stared appreciatively at my figure. I rolled my eyes at him and turned around so he couldn't see me slip the homemade pad into my panties.

"So did you just come here to stare at me or what?" I asked irritably as I remained turned around. He walked around me as I was drying my hair so he could look me in the eyes.

"I forbid you from ever speaking to Mac-Varr again," he said seriously, his eyes narrowing with anger.

"Forbid? You aren't my father, Ronan," I said angrily as I looked up at him. He immediately stepped forward, leaving no space in between us, and tugged backwards on my hair, but not with enough force to hurt.

"No, I am not," he growled lustfully as he leaned down.

His hand abruptly pulled my head to the side and his mouth fervidly captured my neck, instantly causing me to close my eyes and softly moan. I suddenly became aware of his right hand on my breast, squeezing and tugging on my nipple with expert skill. His kisses stopped almost as abruptly as they started, and he stared into my eyes with possessive desire as he held my chin.

"You belong to _me_, Silvia," he hissed before storming out of my room. I was left standing there speechless and slightly out of breath.

A part of me wished he had stayed so he could finish what he started, but I knew deep down that that wouldn't have fixed anything. He left me wanting more, and I was certain that he intended for that to happen.

No, I had to stay strong and make him work for it. I couldn't let myself give in so easily.

Not now.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: This chapter and the next chapter will be a little longer than most if you haven't noticed. I intended for more to happen in this chapter, but it was getting too long, so I saved it for the next. I hope you enjoy it! I'm having a lot of fun writing this and love watching Ronan and Silvia's relationship develop... although it's developing very, very slowly ;) <strong>

**Thank you to all of the people who follow/favorite/review... it definitely helps keep me inspired!**


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